


Rapunzel, Hawaii 5-0 Style

by BymagaJones



Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fairy Tale, F/M, Fairy Tale Retellings, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-06-02
Updated: 2013-06-14
Packaged: 2017-12-13 18:44:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 26
Words: 69,805
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/827587
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BymagaJones/pseuds/BymagaJones
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This is extremely AU, where Steve’s the prince of Hawaii, Danny’s stuck in a tower, Kono’s a mage, Chin’s still zen, and Grace is a princess who can fling a verbal barb like a pro.  In this world there be dragons, surfing, button down shirts, ties, and magic scrolls – and where Chin and Kono are very, very, very distant cousins.  Any attempt to fit this into an actual, real historical time period will result in a headache.  So just roll with it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Author’s Notes: This story became stuck in my head a long time ago, and I finally wrote it for 2011 NaNoWriMo. It’s taken me this long to complete it and revise it. It is complete, though. I will be posting around two chapters a day until it’s all up.
> 
> Disclaimer: I don’t own any part of “Hawaii 5-0”, because if I did, I’d have Danny and Steve involved in all sorts of slashy goodness, and if she must be on the show, Catherine might just crush on Kono. Or maybe Gabrielle, because I’ve loved Autumn Reeser since “The OC”, and although I don’t want her with Danny, I think she’s adorable.

Chapter 1

The Legend has been handed down from generation to generation, first as oral tradition and then later imprinted upon pages for all eternity. It tells of a prince from a kingdom besieged by a fearsome dragon and the quest he must undertake to find his one true love. He will fall in love with her blonde locks, and she in turn will provide him with everlasting love and the key to defeating the dragon.

Sounds straightforward enough, right? Ah, but as the saying goes, the best laid plans…

 

Crown Prince Steven of the McGarrett family of the land of Hawaii strode into his chambers in the west wing of the castle, hurling his helmet at the wall.

Chin, his advisor and best friend, trailed behind him, lifting an eyebrow.

Sighing, the prince ran a hand through his sweaty hair and turned back to his friend. “I know – okay?”

Having divested himself of his own armour while the prince reported to his father, Chin settled comfortably on a plush forest green sofa. “I didn’t say anything.”

Two men scuttled in, helping the prince change clothes.

“That eyebrow says it all,” the prince muttered. “It’s just – this shouldn’t be so difficult. It’s one dragon! I’ve killed minotaurs with more intelligence. Remember the cyclops -”

“- with the tail?” Chin winced and rubbed absently at his shoulder.

“That took – what? A couple of hours?”

“It took us longer to travel there than it did for you to finish him up.”

“So what’s the problem? This is one dragon! One!”

“It’s gotta be -” Chin started.

The prince narrowed his eyes. “Don’t say it.”

“ –magic,” Chin finished, unperturbed.

I don’t believe in magic.”

Chin shrugged and remained silent, staring at the prince as he allowed the servants to help dress him in comfortable pants and shirt. Finally he asked, “So, what now? What’d the king say?”

“He said,” the prince growled, starting to pace, “that I have to stop disregarding magic.”

“We’ve tried everything else,” Chin said, reasonably. He gave the prince a faint smile. “Look at it this way – you try magic, if it doesn’t work, your father won’t be able to hold it against you.”

The prince perked up at that as the men left the room. “So, what do we have to do?”

“I know someone,” Chin said.

The prince sighed. “Let me guess – another cousin.”

“A distant cousin,” Chin stressed, and the prince noted his slight change in tone and posture. Someone not as observant would’ve missed it, but he and Chin had been through too much, practically grown up together, for the prince to miss the smallest of details in his best friend.

“Well, let’s bring him in,” the prince said, flopping down beside Chin. “The sooner we get this over with, the sooner we can go back to figuring out how to get rid of this dragon.”

“She’ll be here in the morning,” Chin said.

Choosing to ignore the blatant fact that Chin had reached out to the mage before having a conversation with him so he could focus on the other part of the comment that’d caught his attention, he asked conversationally, “She?”

It was obvious that Chin was trying hard not to shift nervously as he met the prince’s eyes and said, “yes.”

“And she’s a distant cousin?” He grinned, knowing that Chin wanted to tell him to fuck off but couldn’t. Sometimes it was good to be the prince.

His father’s emissary chose that moment to show up in his doorway, obviously there to remind him that his father had only given him a brief reprieve to change out of this armour. Groaning, the prince dismissed the man. He relaxed for a few seconds, staring at Chin, before taking a deep breath. “Magic, then.”

Chin nodded. “Magic.”

 

The next day, Steve sat in the formal living room, waiting for Chin’s mage to appear. He knew she’d arrived; Chin’s noticeable absence would’ve told him that if the emissary hadn’t.

Absently drumming his fingers on the arm of the chair, he looked around the room, aching to be anywhere else, even back with that stupid dragon.

Being inside sucked.

A messenger arrived, bowing low, adams apple bobbing so quickly that the prince was almost mesmerized. “Forgive me, Your Highness, but…”

“But?” The prince prompted after a few seconds of silence.

“The mage refuses to enter the castle.”

What the hell,” the prince muttered. Standing, he waved absently. “Take me to her.”

At least he was out of the damn room.

He followed the scurrying herald through the streets, nodding absently as the commoners bowed and curtsied around him. He didn’t mind walking throughout the towns and the villages, especially the ones surrounding the castle. They were so used to seeing him that his presence no longer created a huge stir, the townspeople bowing with respect before continuing with their activities. Eventually, they arrived on the beach where Chin stood, towel in hand, staring out at the ocean. The prince stood beside his friend, absently waving his hand to dismiss the nervous herald. Staring out into the ocean, he saw a dark speck in the distance.

“That your cousin?” He felt Chin nod. “And she thinks that going surfing instead of meeting her prince was a wise move?” He knew Chin would pick up on his tone.

Shrugging a shoulder, Chin said, “She said this helps her stay in communion with Mother Earth.”

The prince snorted, not a regal sound, but it got the point across.

“I know as much about this stuff as you do, but Kono is one of the best. She comes from a long line of powerful mages.”

“Obviously not from your side of the family,” the prince muttered, eliciting a small smile from his friend.

The speck started moving closer, grabbing a large wave and riding it in.

“She’s good,” the prince said, impressed. “How long has it been since we’ve –” he waved his arm toward the ocean.

“Too long,” Chin said, the longing in his voice echoing the prince’s feelings.

“After we blow up this dragon, we’re coming back here and surfing for two days straight,” the prince decided.

“First of all, you keep forgetting that the goal is to slay the dragon, not blow it up. Secondly, do you think the king will let you off of your duties for that long?”

“I’ll be a big fat hero,” the prince said, ignoring Chin’s correction. After a pause, he added, “We’ll stop here before returning to the castle.”

Chin’s chuckle accompanied the mage as she stepped from the water with her surfboard, a small bikini on her long, lithe body.

The prince opened his mouth, but Chin said, “Don’t” in a tone he reserved for his troops, never for his prince.

So that’s how it is, the prince confirmed, stifling a smile. She was beautiful, no doubt about it, long black hair sliding down her back, a large smile revealing dimples as she shoved her board into the sand and took the towel Chin held out for her.

“Your Highness,” she said, including him in her smile, tilting her head reverently.

“Hozzit?” He asked.

“Cherry, brah,” she replied, dimples flashing again.

“Now that you’ve finished with fun-time, can we get to my problem?”

“That’s what I was doing, actually,” she said. “The water helps me stay in touch with Mother Earth. I was gathering my strength.”

The prince’s eyes narrowed. “Why would you need strength? I just need to know how to defeat a dragon – he’s not even that large.”

“The dragon isn’t your real problem,” she said, wrapping the towel around her waist. “It’s figuring out your quest.” She walked past him to a pile of clothes resting on a large blanket.

“What qu –” he followed her, quickly turning back toward the ocean when she reached around and untied her bathing suit top. Clearing his voice and sliding a slide-long glance at Chin, who had flipped around just as quickly, he tried again, “What quest?”

“You need the key to slaying the dragon, and in order to get that key, you have to go on a quest.” Her voice was muffled as she pulled her top over her head.

“Why can’t you just… I don’t know, cast a spell and bring the key here?”

“The point of a quest is to learn something as you move toward your goal. Evidently, the Forces feel you need to take this quest in order to become further enlightened.” She stepped in front of him, dressed in a blousy yellow top and forest green pants, her feet still bare.

“I don’t have time!” The prince growled, his arms crossing as he glared at her. “That dragon has killed at least five of my men so far.”

“The dragon is currently asleep,” Kono said, unperturbed by his rant. She noted his bright grin and added, “ But he’s also being protected from harm while you go on your quest.”

The prince stared at Kono for a moment before glaring at Chin. “This is your fault.”

Chin smiled at him serenely.

“So.” The prince returned his attention to Kono. “Where do I start?”

“Tonight I’ll seek guidance from the elders.”

“So I can leave tomorrow?”

“We can head out at first light,” Kono said.

Chin shrugged. “I’m available.”

“Isn’t this one of those quests where I have to go alone?” The prince asked.

“There are very few quests where the chosen one needs to go alone,” Kono said. “And to be honest, boss, you could probably use the help.”

The prince knew he should be upset, but he found himself grinning, happy to have the company.

That night at dinner with his mother and his father, he waited until they were served dessert before saying idly, “So, I’m off on my quest tomorrow.”

“What quest?” His mother asked, a slight furrow on her brow.

“Father made me consult a mage about the dragon, and she says I must go on a quest.”

“Who is this mage?” The king asked. “How reliable is her information?”

The prince shrugged. “She’s Chin’s cousin,” he said, knowing that would shut up his father. For some reason, he thought Chin was a good influence.

“Is it too much to hope that there’s a princess somewhere in there? I would like to die knowing my grandchildren.”

The prince stilled, trying not to fidget before his mother. This was always an uncomfortable conversation; he’d tried meeting princesses, even fair maidens, but none of them sparked more than a short-term interest. Here he was, thirty-six years old, never having found anyone with whom he’d want to attach himself to forever. He’d lived long enough to know that he wasn’t the type to fall in love, but at the very least, he wanted to marry someone who challenged him, maybe made him laugh. He didn’t fancy sharing his life with someone who bored him.

“Don’t most quests involve meeting true loves and such?” His mother asked.

“I was more interested in the part about getting the key to destroying the dragon,” he said noncommittally.

“A key, you said?” His mother tapped at her cheek absently. “I remember a story from my childhood…. it involved a dragon, a prince finding his true love up in a tower…” she frowned. “I think there was something about her lowering her hair so he could climb up the tower and rescue her…”

“He’s a sizable man,” the king said. “He tries to climb some girl’s hair, he’ll snap her neck like a twig.”

The prince pressed his lips together to keep from laughing at the table, a breach of etiquette that his parents would never forgive.

“Magic is involved, of course,” the queen said. “You go out there and get your princess.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“We need to take care of that dragon,” the king said. “That’s your focus.”

“Yes, sir.”

The advisor leaned over and whispered in the king’s ear.

“Don’t forget to take your hawk with you, and check in with us regularly. We want to know where you are at all times.”

“Yes, sir,” the prince said, keeping his face impassive. He couldn’t stand that sneaky advisor. He knew what was expected of him; he didn’t need reminding.


	2. Chapter 2

The prince and Chin met the mage on the side of the dusty road leading out of town so early that the moon was still glowing and the birds had not yet awakened.

Kono stood petting a horse attached to a small covered buckboard. A young woman sat on the wagon seat, her arms loosely holding the reins. Her short hair and large eyes made her look like some sort of wood sprite.

“This is JennaKaye,” Kono said, “my apprentice.”

“You have an apprentice?” The prince asked, incredulously. “You’re only, like, twelve yourself.”

“And yet you’re entrusting me to lead you on your quest,” was the immediate reply.

The prince couldn’t refute that, so he nodded his head in acknowledgment, receiving a grin in response.

“This is Althour,” he said, tilting his head to the falcon perched on his right shoulder. “He’ll relay messages to my father.”

“He’s more than welcome to ride on top of the wagon,” Kono said, drawing their attention to the small roost.

The prince moved his shoulder slightly, looked at the perch, and Althor flew over, spreading his wings majestically before landing. That done, the prince looked at himself and Chin, both on their horses, and said to Kono, “Hop in the wagon so we can get moving. The faster we do this, the sooner I can blow up that dragon.”

Chin muttered, “slay – slay the dragon,” but otherwise remained quiet.

“First of all,” Kono said, “this quest is as much about the journey as it is about getting the key.”

The prince frowned but refrained from rolling his eyes – as would be unfitting a man of his station – and just sighed inwardly. “What’s second?”

Kono smiled, whistled, and a huge white stallion burst onto the road from the woods, stopping directly in front of her. Grabbing him by the mane, she pulled herself astride his bare back. “Second, let’s ride!” She spurred the horse with her heels, and they took off down the road in a flurry of dust.

With a grin, Chin sped after her.

The prince managed to stop himself and looked over to JennaKaye.

She smiled. “Go. I‘ll find you.”

He didn’t need to be urged twice. Adjusting his reins, he spurred Goliath to follow Chin and Kono.

H5-0 H5-0 H5-0 H5-0

Danny shut his book and sighed, tossing his reading glasses on the desk before squeezing the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger. Philosophy was not one of his favorite subjects, but this book had begun interestingly enough. Only problem was, “he made his point two hundred pages ago!” He barely noticed his voice reverberating in the room as he shoved away from the desk and stripped down to his undergarments.

He cleared his mind, focusing on warming up his body slowly, methodically. After all, he had no time constraints, nowhere to be, and definitely no one to see until Gracie arrived in three days time. He dropped and began his routine with his pushups, continuing until a fine sheen covered his arms and torso, until his arms began trembling and threatened to give out. Collapsing, he took a break for a second before rising and doing some jumping jacks.

He tried to keep his mind empty, but as always, he failed. “After ten years, you would think I would’ve found my zen by now,” he muttered, gasping through some pullups using one of the exposed beams on the ceiling.

Maybe it was reading philosophy, but he was feeling pretty introspective, a little low. He knew he had to be careful – negative thoughts could take him down a slippery road, leading to depression and desperate permanent measures, and he couldn’t afford stepping up to that cliff, not when he had the most important thing in the world to live for.

“Think of Gracie,” he reminded himself, a mantra he said countless times throughout his days, his weeks, his months and years. He pictured her in his mind, hair in two braids, one hanging over each shoulder, beautiful grin on her face, that one hole on the left top of her smile where she had lost her tooth just a few weeks earlier. Closing his eyes as he pushed through the pain in his abs as he added a few more crunches, he pictured her tilting her head, her eyes smiling as she said, “Oh, Danno,” in that chiding tone she used when she knew he was teasing her.

How he missed her! Now that she was older, she was coming pretty much every weekend, but because he was stranded in this damn tower, he could only find out that she wouldn’t be able to make it when she just didn’t show up, and those weekends were the worst. It took everything he had not to just lie down and give up. But the thought of her coming the next weekend, picturing her sweet face, kept him from losing his mind or doing something drastic – and fatal.

“Three more days,” he grunted lifting the wooden bench by the door over his shoulders to add weight during his squats.

Just three more days before the light returned to his world. Three more days.

H5-0 H5-0 H5-0 H5-0

They’d been traveling hard for two days, and while he could have continued with no problem, the prince signaled for a break when they reached a perfect place to settle for the night. He had to be honest and admit that he wouldn’t have noticed how hard they were pushing if Chin had not given him The Look and then cut his eyes toward Kono and JennaKaye. Except for the dark circles under her eyes, Kono looked fine, her posture perfect on her horse. JennaKaye, though, looked like she was going to fall off the bench. She had been doing a good job of just… being there – in a clearing or a crossroads – when they showed up, but it was clearly taking its toll. The prince was impressed at how no one was complaining. They made a good team.

After they’d made camp for the night, they sat beside the campfire while Chin cooked a deer the prince had caught. JennaKaye had unearthed some fruit and vegetables from the wagon, so it was looking to be a feast.

“We should get there some time tomorrow, Boss,” Kono said, her fingers working on some pieces of leather.

Sighing at her continued use of a title that he didn’t particularly enjoy and wondering when he’d lost the battle in getting her to call him something – anything – else, he asked, “What am I looking at?” Mentally, he thought of the few items he had brought with him that he could combine with normal items found in nature to create some reasonably sized incendiary devices.

“Everything is… opaque,” Kono acknowledged.

“Opaque,” The prince repeated slowly.

“I’m being told where to go – the general direction – and I have the feeling we will know it when we get to it.”

“That doesn’t really give us time to prepare,” Chin said.

“It’s not harmful,” Kono said, her voice tentative. “I sense that this is how it’s meant to unfold.”

“How does that translate into not being dangerous?” The prince asked.

“Things flow smoother when you move with the universe rather than when you try to push against it,” JennaKaye said, handing the prince his plate.

Thanking her, he returned his attention to Kono. “So you’re telling me that all we have to go on is that we’ll reach our destination tomorrow, and we think it’s safe because it’s our destiny?”

Chin took the plate JennaKaye gave him with a smile – one that the prince noticed that Kono noticed – and said, “We’ve dealt with less.”

The prince grinned at him. “True.” As a general rule, he liked being prepared for what he was going to face, but he also enjoyed the opportunity to improvise from time to time. The king never appreciated it, and the queen said each occurrence shortened her lifespan by weeks, but it kept him sharp.

“JennaKaye and I’ll have a couple of things ready just in case,” Kono promised, plate in hand. She paused while JennaKaye prepared her own plate before bowing her head. “Mother Earth, thank you for the blessings you’ve bestowed upon us. Please guide us as you guide the wind, toward our destinies, and grant us the privilege of long, happy lives. Aloha.”

The prince had not grown up with much in the way of magic, and he had been thrown the first time he had eaten a meal with Kono and had been exposed to the way she gave thanks; it was vastly different from his own, but the sentiment was the same, and he quickly got used to it.

“So,” he asked Kono after a few moments silence except for the occasional clink of silverware on plates. “How did you and JennaKaye meet?”

Kono shrugged. “Her father came to me a few months ago seeking an apprenticeship for her.”

“You’ve already made a name for yourself,” Chin said, his voice proud.

Kono ducked her head slightly, before saying, “Well, I wasn’t his first choice.”

“Daddy went to quite a few more established mages, but they were…well… unsuitable.”

“Unsuitable as in not a good fit?”

“Unsuitable as in they also wanted me as a sex toy,” JennaKaye explained matter-of-factly, creating a slightly awkward silence.

“I may not be as established as they are, but I’m also not a letch,” Kono said, easing the tension. “And, we’re getting along well.”

JennaKaye nodded. “I’ve been learning a lot.”

“Like how to travel quickly,” The prince said.

“It’s been good experience for her to track and move the entire cart to our destinations.”

“Wait – you didn’t really just keep catching up to us, did you?” He felt like an idiot. In his defense, his mind had been more occupied on scenarios for getting the key to killing the dragon and then even more as to how he was going to kill said dragon than on how a mage apprentice was keeping up with them.

JennaKaye shrugged a shoulder. “It’s a small wagon, but it still requires a lot of energy.”

“Because the size…” Kono started.

“…is not what makes it difficult,” JennaKaye finished. “Transporting the horse and wagon should be just as easy as transporting… say, a toy horse and wagon. It just takes time for the mind to really believe it.”

“So wait.” The prince turned to Kono, half empty plate in his hand. “You could’ve transported us from home to our destination two days ago?”

“It’s as much about the journey -”

“- as it is getting the key,” the prince growled, completing the sentence. “I can’t think of a single thing I’ve gained by traveling like this.”

“It’s the only way I could make sure we were heading in the correct direction,” Kono insisted. “Besides, this has been a good trip so far, I think.”

“We’re getting to know Kono and JennaKaye,” Chin supplied helpfully.

“You’re spending time with your friend,” Kono motioned her plate toward Chin.

“You’re away from your parents,” JennaKaye added, blushing when all eyes turned her way. “I love mom and dad, but it has been nice… being away.”

The prince couldn’t argue with that, but his position would not allow for him to agree either.

“His highness here would never admit it, but he’s more comfortable outdoors than he is inside,” Chin said, proving yet again his worth as a best friend by providing him with a reasonable excuse.

Smiling easily, the prince said, “I would love to be able to hold court outside.” The past two years, his father had been having him hold court when he was home, listening to the grievances of his people and making judgments. He didn’t mind the job – although his father’s advisor didn’t particularly like most of his decisions – so much as how it forced him inside for most of the time. He got to where he couldn’t feel the sun’s warmth on his skin, the wind caress his face for long periods of time. Neither his mother nor his father could understand or explain his love of the outdoors. His mother blamed his father for letting him “run loose” when he was a child; his father said he got it from his mom’s “nature-loving” side of the family. Regardless, he knew he preferred riding on his horse or surfing or battling the forces against his kingdom than having to do anything that forced him inside.

“Hmmm,” Kono said, contemplative. “Let me think on that.”

“I would be happy if you’d just focus on what we have in front of us tomorrow. The more prepared we are, the more successful our mission.”

“Our goal,” Kono said, a soft smile belying the fact that she had just corrected royalty.

“Our quest,” Chin said.

“Our…meeting?” JennaKaye added, a little weakly but determined not to be left out.

The prince did roll his eyes, handing his empty plate to JennaKaye before leaving to check on Goliath for the night.

 

“How long do we have to keep walking?” The prince complained to Kono yet again.

They had broken camp at dawn, riding until Kono had them dismount and start walking in late afternoon, away from the road. She had no compass or map, just kept quietly surveilling the area, making adjustments to their course as she felt necessary.

Usually, Kono would sigh and placate him with meaningless words, but this time she held up her head.

Everyone froze.

Her brow furrowed, she whispered, “Stay here,” and crept through the forest.

Without having to look at each other, the prince and Chin immediately followed her.

She walked to a clearing, where she stopped and looked around.

“What’s wrong?” Chin asked, his voice hushed.

“This is it,” she said, her voice rising hesitantly at the end, as if she weren’t quite certain.

“Great, a tower, just like mother said,” the prince muttered, looking at the tall, round building in the clearing. It looked like it was made of brick, but he had never seen brick curve like that. He estimated that it stood at least 60 feet in the air, and he couldn’t detect a window or a door anywhere from this vantage point. He examined the roof, but it looked completely flat, so no one could hide a sentry up there. That meant that the building had a blind side to the forest, where anyone could come up and attack at any moment. Of course, he still wasn’t sure what the building was…

“But there’s nothing there,” Chin said, disappointment still staring at it.

“What tower thing?” Kono asked at the same time.

“The tower right there,” the prince said, finally looking away from it to find both Kono and Chin staring at him strangely. “What?”

“Your highness, it’s an empty field.”

“What are you talking about? The tower’s right there!” He waved a hand in its direction.

“The field’s empty,” Chin insisted.

The prince stood and walked into the field, stopping to place his hand along the round wall. He allowed himself to be distracted for a moment, realizing the scratchy feel on the red tower proved that it was, indeed, brick. “Then what’s this?” He turned around to find that he was alone. Peering into the woods where he came from, he shouted, “Really? You’re going to just hide over there?” He glared as Chin and Kono peeked from behind a bush, grinning.

He heard a noise to his left and put his hand on his sword as he turned to face it. He felt Kono and Chin come up to flank him, and he knew Chin’s hand was on his own sword.

After a bit of rustling, he watched a girl stumble out of the woods giggling, being chased by a smiling young man.

Sighing, he loosened his grip but didn’t completely remove his hand. Others had tried to take him in looking more harmless.

The man grabbed the girl around the waist, turned her around, and stole a kiss.

The prince spared a look at Chin, who grinned wryly. “Did we ever…” he tilted his head toward the two, who were still wrestling and laughing, not even noticing the three strangers standing in the front of them, next to the tower.

“It would never befit a prince to act like that in public,” Chin said.

“What about you?” Kono asked Chin.

The prince thought he heard a tone and continued to stare at the couple although he kept his attention on the two on either side of him.

“I was always busy trying to keep this one in check,” Chin said.

The prince thought back and realized that he always had Chin with him, and for the first time he figured out that the life he chose to lead was the life that Chin led as well. With the exception of meals with his parents and the few nights he slept in his wing at the castle, he and Chin were inseparable. That didn’t leave Chin much time for a life of his own.

The prince didn’t get much time to feel guilty about it, because the couple finally noticed them.

“I’m sorry,” the young man said. “We didn’t notice you there.”

“We kind of figured,” the prince said, not bothering to hide his smile.

“We always come here to be alone, since we both still live with our parents,” the man said, his arm hugging the girl close to him.

“No one ever comes around about the tower?” The prince asked, his attention back on the structure.

“What tower?” The man asked, and that was when the prince started to worry.

The couple made their way back into the forest, forced to find another place for their tryst, and the prince turned to his companions. “So neither one of you see this?” He patted the structure, feeling its coarseness scratch again against his palm.

Kono peered towards his hand. “I can see …something…” She dug into a pouch hanging from her belt and sprinkled it around his hand. The prince felt a tingling but saw nothing special. Kono, on the other hand, pointed and said, “There!” She turned to Chin, who had also leaned closer. “Did you see it?”

Thoughtful look on his face, Chin said, “It’s a red brick, maybe?”

The prince was confused. “Why am I the only one who can see it?”

“I need to consult the writ,” Kono muttered. “JennaKaye.”

At the quietly spoken word, JennaKaye walked into the clearing, rolled parchment in her hand. The prince shot a how-the-hell-did-she-hear-that look to Chin, who gave him his just-go-with-it shrug.

Taking the scroll from JennaKaye with an absent, “thanks,” Kono started to read, muttering quietly to herself. The prince looked over her shoulder, but the paper looked blank. A man not used to standing around and waiting, he made his way around the tower, looking for any way to enter, using his hand to feel for any gaps or changes in the brick’s texture to indicate a potential opening. As he came back around, he stifled a smile at JennaKaye’s confused expression. He could only imagine how bizarre he must look to a person who couldn’t see the tower at all.

“Okay,” Kono said finally. “The writ doesn’t mention an invisible tower, but I think I’ve isolated the specific legend.” The prince’s confusion must have showed on his face, because she went on to explain. “There’re quite a few legends about princes going on quests; some are specific, laying out what the prince is searching for, what steps he needs to take along the way, all that sort of stuff. Other legends give us few basic details, such as this one.” She handed the parchment to JennaKaye, who obediently held it so Kono’s arms were free. Kono pointed to the blank scroll and paraphrased, “ ‘The prince travels on a quest, finds an object of beauty, looks into it, and finds the answer to his question.’ It doesn’t mention locations, if he has tasks to accomplish, what his question entails. But I think I’ve narrowed your quest down, and,” she gave him a cheeky grin, “if I’m right, it’s the one the queen mentioned.”

“Wait – the true love one?” Chin asked, his own grin spreading over his face.

During Kono’s little speech, the prince had pressed his hands against the tower and enjoyed the widening of JennaKaye’s eyes. He leaned against it nonchalantly at an impossible angle if one were standing in empty space, enjoying JennaKaye’s shocked face and almost missed Kono and Chin’s discussion. “All I want is to defeat a dragon. I’m not interested in that true love crap. Can you find me a legend that’s just straight-up ‘Prince Finds Key To Slaying Dragon, Annihilates Said Dragon, And Lives Happily Ever After’?”

“You’re not interested in finding true love, boss?” Kono asked playfully.

“Maybe when I’ve traveled more or something,” he said vaguely. He’d had to endure his fair share of balls where his mom paraded all sorts of available women in front of him. He’d lost count of the number of princesses and, as she started growing a little desperate, common ladies of good standing he’d had to endure, none of them arising a spark of interest. He was okay with that, having watched his mother worry every time his father left on a crusade when he was growing up. It didn’t seem fair to leave someone you’ve professed to love so you could go out and have adventures while they waited at home and worried. And yet, protecting the kingdom was part of his job. He couldn’t not go, ask others to put their lives in danger while he sat safely in his castle. “Anyway, can you find me a better legend or whatever?”

Kono gave him what looked suspiciously like a look of sympathy. “That’s not how it works. Life is like a puzzle that is made up of many pieces… each piece different than the rest, like snowflakes. You can’t take your piece and shove it where you want it to go. There’s only one place where it fits.”

“So we have no choice about the direction of our lives?” The prince asked. “I don’t believe it.” There was no way she could get him to believe that he couldn’t make his own decisions.

“It’s not locked-in. You could have chosen not to go on this quest,” Kono reminded him.

“But I have to blow up the dragon,” the prince reminded her, once again ignoring Chin’s whispered, “slay” correction.

“So it’s your choice,” Kono said, smiling.

Narrowing his eyes at her, he tried to figure out when he had gotten lost in the conversation.

“So the queen mentioned the tower and something about lowering her hair?” Kono asked, mentioning an earlier conversation they’d had during a slower moment of the trip.

The prince shrugged. “That was pretty much all she could remember.”

“This tells of a banishment to the tower, so the person inside must have done something that warranted she be sequestered.”

“Great,” the prince muttered.

“On the other hand, she wasn’t put to death. So whatever it was couldn’t be too bad, right?” JennaKaye asked hopefully.

“She has a point, boss,” Chin said, grinning and shrugging when the prince shot him a baleful look at the title. “What? It’s catchy.”

Sighing, the prince returned his attention to the tower. “This thing has no visible windows or doors, and I didn’t feel any latches or gaps. How am I supposed to get in there - or get her out?”

He turned back to the group, a little surprised to see the small cart and their horses now in the clearing. He figured he should be used to it by now, but it seemed that three days wasn’t enough time to make magic an afterthought. Kono knelt on the ground, facing the tower, large white napkin spread out in front of her. She began chanting, taking a bottle JennaKaye would hand her, sprinkling a bit of its contents onto the napkin. She’d hand the bottle back to her apprentice and take another one offered, sprinkling a little of that on the napkin, continuing to chant the entire time. After about a minute, he saw the tower shimmer slightly, then he heard a gasp from JennaKaye.


	3. Chapter 3

“Can you see it now?”

“We sure can,” Chin said. “Good job, Kono.”

“That wasn’t me,” she said faintly, looking up at the prince.

“What do you mean? You’ve been muttering and have that…napkin thing there with all the… herbs and stuff…”

“I mean that the spell’s not finished, boss.”

The prince turned at the sound of hoof beats and watched as a young girl galloped into the clearing, skidding the horse to a stop less than a foot away from the prince. She looked at them curiously. “Hello,” she said politely, hopping off the horse that turned out to be much bigger than the girl herself.

“Hello,” the prince said, just as curious. The girl didn’t seem surprised at seeing a tower. Of course, she didn’t seem all that surprised to see them either.

“Are you lost?” After untying a large bag from the horse and dropping it beside her, she loosened the horse’s bridal, made sure the reins were tucked under the saddle, and smacked the horse gently on the backside, making it go thundering off to the other side of the clearing.

“Don’t think so,” the prince said pleasantly. “What about you?”

The girl had large brown eyes and two braids. She absently flicked them behind her and brushed off her own backside. “I come here pretty much every weekend.” She eyeballed them. “Why’re you here?”

Taken aback at her forthright tone and the wiser-than-her-years expression, he said, “We’re on a mission.”

Her eyes sparkling, she hefted the bag over her shoulder and adjusted her stance to accommodate the weight. “Are you going to kill something?”

“Not yet.”

“Good luck, then.” Walking over to the tower, she gave the brick a quick knock, and it opened away from the prince, so he couldn’t see inside. He did see a large smile cover her face as he heard, “Monkey!” from the inside.

“Hey, Danno,” she said, heading inside without so much as a backward glance.

The door started to close, and the prince leapt forward, trying to hold it open. Chin stepped forward to help, the two of them desperately fighting a losing battle.

“Kono!” the prince gasped.

Kono appeared, shoving a steel bar in the door before it closed, and for a moment, the prince thought she’d managed to keep it open. But a few seconds later, the steel bar made a sickening sound and broke, the piece on the outside falling harmlessly to the ground.

“Well, hell,” muttered JennaKaye.

H5-0 H5-0 H5-0 H5-0

This was the worst part of every week, the time spent staring at the brick wall, wondering, waiting…

He’d wake up, go through his morning workout, shower, and head down the winding staircase to begin pacing in front of that silent, imposing wall. Somewhere along the way he’d developed a bad habit of biting his nails, so he’d imposed a penalty: he had to drop and do twenty pushups each time his hand entered his mouth. Inevitably, he was sweaty and in need of another shower by the time the door started to form, so he’d taken to keeping a towel with him, drying off and tucking in his shirt as soon as he heard the door. He was barely able to tuck in his shirt before the door opened, revealing his Gracie, and she always leapt at him, his missing tie unnoticed.

Those were the best days.

The worst were when he waited, the door never formed or opened, and he continued to pace and bite his fingernails. And sweat from the pushups.

And Grace never came.

As he did every week, he brushed that thought aside – that kind of thinking led to the downward slide, and he couldn’t afford that. It was the way to madness, and it was always too hard to recover from it. He focused on the knowledge that she would come this week, that this would be one of his best weeks. Because his Gracie would show up soon.

He had just finished his fifth round of pushups when he heard the door starting to form. Grabbing his towel, he quickly rubbed himself dry, tossing it aside to tuck in his shirt. He always had to remind himself that staying calm kept his hands steady. He managed to throw his tie over his head before the door opened fully. “Monkey!” He said, arms open wide.

“Hey, Danno,” she said, tossing her bag inside before running and jumping into his arms.

It‘d been ten years since he’d hugged anyone but his daughter, but he’d still swear that her hugs were the best on the planet.

“Are you hungry?”

“Nope, but I brought you some treats,” Grace told him impishly as he let her down so she could grab her bag.

“You know you’re the sweetest thing I could ever hope for,” he teased, making her giggle. He took the bag from her and followed her up the circular staircase to his apartment upstairs.

Another benefit to Grace’s visits was that the tower transformed from the bare minimum – a single bed, a desk with a lamp and an uncomfortable chair, a toilet and standing shower, food cupboard, wooden bench by the door – into a luxury suite, complete with a king-sized bed, a phenomenal bathroom, and lots of great overstuffed furniture. With Grace here, he never slept so well – or so comfortably. He might not be able to protect her on the outside, but she was safe with him on the inside.

“Oh – there were some people outside,” Grace told him as she climbed the stairs.

“Was it that kissing couple again? Next time, bring some water and pour it over their heads. You shouldn’t have to see -”

“No, Daddy. It was this tall man and three other people. They had horses and a wagon.”

Danny shrugged. “They’re probably lost.”

“The man said they’re not lost; I asked. And -” She stopped short.

Danny almost ran into her. “Monkey, don’t just stop like that. I almost ran over you.” He stepped down a few stairs.

She turned around, putting her hands on his chest. She was high enough to put them at eye level, and Danny saw the excitement in her eyes. “Danno, he had his hand on the tower. He could see it!”

“Are you sure?” No one could see the tower except for Grace; it was part of his curse.

“Yes! Maybe the curse is ending! You could come home with me and see my room!”

He didn’t have the heart to tell her that his curse ended when he did, not a second before. Maybe when she got older, found someone to love, begun a family of her own, and didn’t have the time to visit anymore. Of course, she was a smart cookie. She’d probably figure it out on her own way before then.

Clearing his thoughts – downward spiral, he reminded himself – he smiled, “Well, we’ll see.” There really wasn’t anything he could do about it. The door had disappeared, as always, so he couldn’t very well go out and ask their intentions. It was probably just some kind of aberration, best to be forgotten.

But when he heard Grace’s gasp as she made it to the top of the stairs, something inside told him that things were never going to be the same. “What’s wrong?”

She just pointed, and what he saw made him drop the bag.

A window had appeared. A window! It had been ten years since he had seen one, and he had to stop and appreciate the sight. It seemed big to him, larger than usual, but what did he know? Maybe he’d just forgotten how large they were. And it was open, a breeze fluttering the white curtain.

He couldn’t stop himself from walking up to it, closing his eyes as he felt the cool air slide over his face. It felt almost unbearably good, the sensation taking over everything. He wanted to strip naked and feel that breeze over his entire body…

“Danno?”

Gracie’s voice was enough to bring him back to reality. Naked would not be possible, and he was certain that the window would disappear with Grace. He was used to appreciating what he got for as long as he got to have it, however. This window thing was gonna be awesome for the weekend.

H5-0 H5-0 H5-0 H5-0

 

The prince was proud that he spent a good five minutes trying to open the door before deciding to blow it open. “Six months ago – heck, even last month, I would’ve gone straight for the explosives. I think this proves how I’ve matured.”

Chin snorted, clearly unimpressed. “Kono wants to try again.”

“What’s she been doing for the last five minutes?” The prince complained, sorting through his saddlebags for what he needed.

“She has to start from scratch, and she had to… clear out all that stuff she poured. Turns out, you can’t just shake out the napkin and have another go. There’s a ceremony.”

“There’s a ceremony for everything,” the prince muttered, gathering what he needed. “Blowing up the door’ll definitely prevent it from closing back up on us.”

Chin eyed him as he mixed his ingredients. “Sure you’re not going to blow up the whole tower? There’re at least two people in there, one of them being a little girl.”

“I’m being conservative,” the prince promised.

“Boss, let me try my ceremony first,” Kono said, her napkin pristine and lying back in front of her.

“You can try that if for some reason I can’t blow off the door.”

“The door’s already gone, right? So you’ll just be trying to blow a hole at the bottom of a round structure, which will make it unstable.”

“I’ve blown up buildings before; I know what I’m doing.”

“How do you know where to plant the explosives? Did you mark where the doorway was before it disappeared? How do you know that the door doesn’t change spots every time? I like blowing things up as much as the next person, but this isn’t the time!”

“Uh, guys?” JennaKaye said tentatively from the other side of the tower.

“Why’re you arguing with me? I’m your prince!”

Kono had the nerve to roll her eyes. “Yes, you are – and you brought me along for my expertise! Let me do my job!”

“Guys,” JennaKaye said, this time a little louder.

“Your job is to do as I tell you!” The prince yelled, ignoring Chin as the man walked away. He probably didn’t want to get caught in the middle of the argument. Coward. Later, he knew he would appreciate Chin’s intelligent move, but right now, he was pissed off.

“At this moment, my job is to create a way for you to get into the tower without killing anyone! And it has a better chance at succeeding since it doesn’t involve explosives!”

A shrill whistle stopped the prince’s retort, and he and Kono turned to find Chin staring at them. He motioned with his fingers, and they walked to the other side of the tower, where JennaKaye stood, staring up at a window.

“That’s just disturbing,” Kono muttered.

Surprised, the prince looked at Chin. “The tower’s back to being invisible?”

“Except for the window,” Chin confirmed. 

“So the window just looks like -”

“It looks like it’s just… hanging there in space, ” JennaKaye finished. “It’s weird.”

“It means that we don’t need spells or explosives,” the prince grinned. Turning to Chin, he started, “Did you -”

“In my saddle bags,” Chin said, disappearing around the tower, returning a few seconds later with climbing gear. He looked toward the window. “I only got to see the tower for a minute, but the surface looked pretty smooth.”

The prince took the items from Chin’s hands and sat down to change his shoes. Rifling through his haul bag, he took note of everything packed but chose to forego the gloves and resin. Standing, he grinned at the three. “Here goes.”

“He’s enjoying this way too much,” JennaKaye whispered to Kono.

“Actually, it looks kind of fun,” Kono admitted, sounding a little jealous.

The prince bounced a bit, making sure his studs were secure before running his hands along the wall, looking for a grip. The rough brick scratched at his palms, but he couldn’t gain purchase until – he could have sworn that the tower had just created a handhold for him. Quickly shoving in his hand, he looked for another grip, and damned if one didn’t appear. He looked down to see if Kono were doing some of her magic, but she looked as worried as the others. And her lips weren’t moving, a sure sign that she wasn’t doing one of her spells.

Returning his focus to the wall, he continued to look for arm and leg holes, and they would appear, although they didn’t make it easy for him. He appreciated the workout, not realizing how little he had pushed his body these last few days. He continued climbing, working up a fine sheen of sweat. After what seemed like at least forty minutes, he was close enough to the window to make out noises, a high-pitched one and one that seemed to giggle consistently. He hoped that this damsel looked better than she sounded, because her voice could shatter glass.

He reached up, his fingertips touching the windowsill. Pressing up onto his tiptoes gave him enough purchase to place his hands flat on the window ledge, and with a heavy exhalation, he scrabbled up the rest of the way and pulled himself to sitting. What he saw drew him up short.

H5-0 H5-0 H5-0 H5-0

Grace’s very favorite fairy tale was “The Wise Little Girl”, and she never failed to ask Danny to tell it to her at some point every visit. It had begun with his reading it to her from one of his books at her bedtime and evolved into an entire production, complete with voices and staging. Of course Gracie played the wise little girl, and over time, Danny had incorporated his own personal touches to the story.

Danny was in the middle of portraying the selfish mother – a creation of his that had him unfastening his hair and letting it drape down his back – when his daughter’s attention wavered. That had never happened before, and he paused, watching her eyes looking past him and over to that strange window. Turning, he expected to see a bird, maybe, and how strange was it that he felt excited about that? How long had it been since he’d had the opportunity to see something new?

His first feeling at seeing the dark haired man was a rush of happiness, of warmth at his first contact with another adult in ten years. His first rational thought was that this man could be harmful to his daughter. He stepped in front of her, all sorts of questions running through his mind: Who are you? How did you get here? Are you magic? What’s your purpose? How did you break through the curse? Did you create the window? Can you just touch me – a handshake or even a hug? But nothing seemed to want to come out. For the first time in his life, DannyWilliams was struck speechless.

“Danno, it’s the man from outside,” Grace said, pulling at his sleeve.

Danny supposed the man could have hurt Grace outside if he’d meant her ill, but he wasn’t about to assume anything. If he’d learned anything from his situation, it was that the things most dangerous were the facts he didn’t know. He’d spent too long away from the world to know what kind of machinations were going on out there, and he knew that his Grace had more reason than others to be careful. “Stay behind me, Monkey,” he said, using a hand to shove her gently behind him.

After staring at him for what really seemed like an inappropriately long time, the stranger said, “You’re not a damsel.”

Blinking, Danny folded his arms. “No, that I’m not. And my daughter’s way too young for you, so if you’re looking for some kind of… female companionship, take your window and try the tower next door.”

The man sat there on the windowsill, one leg on either side, and looked at Danny for a few seconds. It was his turn to blink. “I’m supposed to rescue a damsel in distress.”

“Well, good luck with that. As you can see, you’re interrupting my quality time with my daughter.” Normally after all this time, he would’ve grabbed hold of the guy and either begged him to take him with him like the damsel in distress he had just denied being or at the very least grabbed him and forced the stranger to talk to him – about anything, the weather, the condition of the world, ducks, anything that would let him listen a voice other than his. Grace’s voice was always welcome, but it wasn’t another adult’s. Instead, he thought of how little time he had with his daughter, and he made a shooing gesture with his hands. The man didn’t move, so Danny used his best no-nonsense voice to add more impact. “Shoo.”

The man suddenly got this mulish expression on his face and swung his other leg into the room.

“Wait – no, that’s the opposite direction,” Danny explained.

The man walked into the room and looked thoughtfully at Danny. That look made Danny feel way more nervous than anything else that had happened until this point.

“What’s with that face?” He asked suspiciously.

“What face?” The man asked.

“That face – your face.” Danny said, waving his hand toward said face. 

“I’m not making a face.”

“You, my friend, are totally making a face. It’s an up-to-no-good face.”

A corner of the man’s mouth turned up, leaving Danny more confused and off balance than ever.

“Sometimes Danno says I have that look too,” Grace confessed.

“And Danno’s always right,” Danny felt the need to remind her. “Now stop trying to bond with the deranged magic man.” He got the feeling that they weren’t in any danger, but it’d been a long time since he’d had to use that second sense, so he wasn’t about to put all of his support behind it. And then there was the whole magic window thing too.

“Magic man?” The man asked, fully grinning now.

“Window suddenly appearing? Man suddenly appearing in said window? Magic man,” Danny explained.

“’Said window?’” the man asked. “Who talks like that?”

“I do, obviously,” Danny muttered, determined not to feel embarrassed. He’d been reading more period books lately; perhaps his verbiage was reflecting that. But he shook it off. Obviously the man understood what he was trying to say.

“I didn’t make that window appear,” the man said, pulling something off his shoes. “I just used it.”

“Well there’s no way I did it,” Danny said. “If I could make windows appear, I would’ve left the moment I got stuck in here.” He realized he sounded kind of lonely and pathetic there at the end, but he hoped that neither the man nor Grace had noticed.

The man nodded his head toward Grace. “Maybe she did it?”

“Maybe she – no, Crazy Stranger, Grace didn’t make a window appear. She’s no mage.”

The man didn’t seem reassured, but he shrugged. “So I need the key to killing a dragon.”

Danny waited for a few seconds before realizing that the man had finished speaking. “Well, then,” he said slowly, “good luck with that.”

“You’re supposed to have it – the key,” the man said.

“Me?” Danny pressed a hand to his chest.

The man nodded.

Danny couldn’t help but laugh. “I don’t know where you get your intel, but you need to find it elsewhere.” The man’s lips firmed. “Uh oh, Grace,” Danny teased, “Crazy Stranger is getting that mulish look.” He let Grace step beside him, her hand against his arm.

The man muttered something, and Danny leaned in closer. “I’m sorry; I don’t speak mumble. What’d you say?”

“My name is not Crazy Stranger,” the man said, smug smile appearing on his face. “I’m Prince Steven McGarrett from the Land of Hawaii.”

“Prince -” Danny felt heat flush his face and wondered if his brain were going to explode. “Get out,” he said through clenched teeth.

The man’s – the prince’s – smile faltered. “But I’m -”

“Yeah. You’re royalty. Believe me, I know how that works. But this isn’t even your kingdom as far as I know,” He looked down for Grace’s nod of confirmation before continuing, “and this isn’t your home. Only one good thing has come into my life because of you people,” he squeezed Grace’s shoulder, as she looked up at him with that angelic face of hers. He had to take a second to return to his train of thought. Looking back up at the man – damn it, prince – he added, “You people have messed with my whole life. I’m done. Get out.”

“But this dragon’s dangerous! He’s killed -” the man stopped with a look at Grace.

A part of Danny warmed at the man’s concern until he reminded himself, “prince,” and he regained his focus. “Good luck with that, then.” He let go of Grace and stepped forward. “Now get out of my tower.” Waving his hands toward the window, he added, “Shoo!”

“You owe it to -”

“I don’t owe anything to anyone out there!” Danny yelled, waving toward the window. “Don’t let the window sash hit you on the ass on your way out.”

“Danno,” Grace said, using her tone.

Sorry, Monkey. Butt,” Danny corrected, taking another step forward.

The man hadn’t moved. Danny knew he wasn’t anywhere close to being the tallest of men, but he liked to think he hadn’t lost his threatening manner. Unfortunately, it didn’t seem to faze the prince. That pissed Danny off more, so he used both his hands and pushed the prince backward toward the window. He chose to ignore that said prince’s pecs felt pretty muscular and kept his mind on the matter. “Did you suddenly grow deaf?”

The prince frowned down at him, and Danny relished that the man was finally acknowledging that he was a threat. “Maybe we got off on the wrong foot.”

“There’s no right foot. Go away.” Danny pushed the prince again. The man lost his balance and seemed to fold himself right out of the window.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For the curious, you can find the "original" version of "The Wise Little Girl" before Danny made his revisions here (sorry the link's not prettier; I couldn't figure out how to do it here): http://www.ivyjoy.com/fables/wisegirl.html
> 
> It’s a cute story.


	4. Chapter 4

“Danno!” Grace cried, rushing to the window. “You killed him!”

Concerned himself, Danny looked out the window, expecting to see blue blood drenching the grass. Instead he watched as a woman, arms raised, slowly use her magic to lower the prince to safety. His heart slowing, he said, “See, Monkey? Princes don’t die from something as plebian as falling out of a window.”

“That wasn’t very nice,” Grace said.

“You’re right. I shouldn’t have shoved the crazy prince out of the window. But he should’ve followed what?”

“Directions,” Grace said with a sigh.

“That’s right. You don’t follow directions, you run the risk of getting pushed out a window – ‘you’ meaning royalty like that prince or your grandfather. Not you, my princess. Someone shove you out a window, you let me know.”

“But you couldn’t do anything about it.” Grace’s matter-of-fact tone nearly broke his heart.

“I would find a way,” he told her. “Believe it. Now.” He gave his hair a flick. “Ready to finish the story?”

Grace gave a worried glance out of the window. “But what about the killing dragon?”

“That prince is obviously confused. He thought I was a woman.”

She tilted her head thoughtfully at him. “It’s because of your long hair.”

“Well, somebody who will not be named keeps forgetting to bring scissors with her.”

“I pack ‘em, Danno. They just aren’t in the bag when I get here.”

“Of course they aren’t,” Danny muttered, “because that would be helpful. To me.” He sighed. “How about we just have a picnic, and you can show me all the junk food you managed to smuggle out of the castle. We can finish up the story tomorrow.”

Grace looked guilty. “Danno. About tomorrow.”

H5-0 H5-0 H5-0 H5-0

The prince was pretty disgusted with himself for allowing someone to push him out of a window, but he’d been surprised. Hand-to-hand combat and true battles notwithstanding, no one, not even the king and queen, touched him. Well, every so often when he kept company with a lady or a gentleman… but even that hadn’t happened lately. So part of the reason he hadn’t grabbed that man’s wrists and broken both of his arms was just surprise. And part of it was that he truly believed he needed the man’s help to defeat the dragon.

It had only taken the prince a couple of seconds to know that somehow this man would have a lasting impact on his life. One touch, that first push, confirmed it. That second push, the embarrassing one that got him knocked out of the window, was unexpected, but he’d gotten distracted by the look in Danno’s eyes, the one underneath the anger that said Danno was experiencing that same feeling of destiny.

Fortunately, Kono’d managed to keep him alive by slowing his descent, and he was standing by the time he reached the ground.

“Boss, you okay?” Kono asked.

His mind whirling with everything he’d just learned, he forced himself to stop and grasp her shoulder. “Thanks entirely to you. Good work.” They swapped smiles, and he moved to his horse.

“What’s the plan?” Chin asked as he, Kono, and JennaKaye followed him.

“Did the damsel push you out the window?” JennaKaye asked.

The prince stopped, hands on his horse and stared at JennaKaye until she looked away before pulling off the saddle. “We’re going to stay here for the night.” He saw Kono open her mouth and added, “I’ll fill you in once we get settled.”

It didn’t take them long to make camp, especially since it seemed that Kono, Chin, and JennaKaye really wanted to know what’d happened.

The prince waited until they had all gotten seated and JennaKaye had dinner started over the fire before he started recounting the story. He could tell from Chin’s sidelong looks and Kono’s glares that they thought he was enjoying making them wait. And he was. However, he was also using the time to get some things straight in his mind, to grab clues from the things said and things left unsaid. He’d found that self-review before brainstorming with Chin made their conversations even more productive, because he came up with the obvious stuff, and Chin always seemed to be able to delve deeper into the meanings behind things.

He started the story with his straddling the windowsill, confused when his ‘damsel’ turned out to be a short, well-built man.

“But the hair…” JennaKaye said, surprised. “I mean, it looked, well, really long.”

“It was loose, down to his ankles,” the prince agreed. “He was talking in this high-pitched voice, but I think he was acting something out with his daughter.”

“The sweet little girl who went inside?” Kono asked.

The prince nodded. “Her name is Grace, but he also calls her Gracie and Monkey.”

“So what happened?”

Aware that he was fidgeting slightly, he tried to gloss over his initial reaction. “I was…surprised, since I was expecting a woman, so my introduction was less than stellar.”

“Explain less than stellar,” Chin requested, his eyes intent.

The prince knew each of his words would be measured as carefully as he had done with himself earlier. “It took me some time to realize that there was no damsel.”

“That is disappointing,” Kono said.

“What are the odds that we could find another damsel in distress in another tower?” JennaKaye asked, stirring the large iron pot on the fire.

“He may not be a damsel, but I’m not convinced that he doesn’t need my help – our help,” the prince said.

“And we are where we’re supposed to be,” Kono said. She looked at the prince. “I confirmed it while you were up there.”

“What makes you think he needs help – or deserves it?” Chin asked.

“It was the things he said when he wasn’t trying to shoo me.” The prince almost laughed at the memory of the blond waving his hands around. “The guy talks constantly, with his hands moving everywhere.” He looked up and found them all staring at him. “What?”

They all suddenly found the fire extremely interesting, although he could have sworn he saw Kono swing an amused glance at Chin, and the corner of Chin’s lip seemed to twitch. “What!?”

“Nothing,” Chin said. “What things did he say?”

“Right,” the prince said, returning to his thoughts. He scratched absently at his temple. “He has no idea how or why that window appeared, and he doesn’t seem overly fond of magic. But then again, he doesn’t seem overly fond of anything other than his daughter. He spent half the time calling me, ‘Magic Man’ in this disdainful tone of voice and ‘Crazy Stranger’ the other half.” He shook his head, chuckling.

“You didn’t introduce yourself?” Chin asked, shocked.

The prince only then realized his breach of etiquette. Manners had been the first thing he’d been taught, long before brushing his teeth and going to the bathroom. He’d lived it for so long that it wasn’t second nature; it was first, right up there with breathing. “I did introduce myself… eventually,” he said weakly, noting Chin’s lifted eyebrow. “Anyway, he doesn’t seem to spend much time with Grace – being with her was of the utmost importance. Concern for her and their time together colored everything he said and did.” He thought a second. “At one point, he mentioned getting stuck in there.”

“What else?” Chin asked.

“He said ‘intel’ like it was natural. That and the way he held himself makes me think he has had something to do with… the military or some town constabulary.”

“I wonder how long he’s been in there.” JennaKaye mused.

“I think it’s been a long time,” the prince said. “After I’d introduced myself, he got really upset – royalty has done him wrong.”

“Wrong like killed his family or -”

“Wrong like stuck him in a tower for years,” The prince finished for Kono. “But he looked to Grace to confirm that I wasn’t his prince.”

“What do you mean, not his prince?” JennaKaye asked.

“The tower must be on Jersey,” the prince said, shrugging.

Chin rose. “What are we still doing here? This could cause an incident!” He looked at Kono. “How did you not know this?”

“The border in this area is…fluid,” she said, shrugging. “Besides, you think they would fight you and risk having it known that they’ve kept someone against his will in a tower for a really long time?” Her tone was unconcerned.

“He could’ve done something bad and is being punished for it,” JennaKaye suggested.

“Royalty parades its miscreants through the streets as a warning to others. They don’t hide them away in an invisible tower on the edge of their land.”

Kono had a point, but the prince’d known that Danno wouldn’t harm him from the moment the man had warned him away from his daughter. He ignored Chin’s voice in his head reminding him of the push out the window. That didn’t really count. “He told me to shoo.” The prince still found that funny.

Kono cleared her voice as JennaKaye served a bowl of rabbit stew to the prince. “So what do we know?”

“He has a daughter who doesn’t seem to live with him,” JennaKaye said.

“He’s been banished in the tower for some time,” Chin added.

“Probably long enough for his hair to grow down to his ankles.” JennaKaye added. “I bet that it’s heavy. Do you think it gives him headaches?”

“We didn’t get that far,” the prince said after a pause. “He has a thing against royalty. Oh. And he doesn’t know anything about a key to slaying a dragon.”

Chin blinked at him. “That’s the whole point of our being here.”

“Yes, but now that we’re here, we can’t leave without helping him.”

“And we’re where we’re supposed to be,” Kono repeated.

The prince pointed his spoon at her. “We’re where we’re supposed to be.”

“I just meant that it was interesting that the key was the last thing you mentioned,” Chin said way too innocently.

H5-0 H5-0 H5-0 H5-0

The next morning, Danny watched his daughter slowly wake and stretch, her entire body going stiff before relaxing again. She turned her head and smiled when she saw him watching her. He was thankful that she didn’t think it was weird; but then again, he had been doing it all her life. First, he couldn’t believe he had helped create something so precious and fragile. Then the worry set in – was she still breathing? Was that a cough? He didn’t have any medicine or any way of getting help if she choked on something or maybe cut herself, and he had worried about that. The worry was still there now that she was older, but the specific causes for concern had changed. What if thieves set upon her on her way to or from the tower? What if her horse got spooked and threw her?

And he still watched her at night to make sure she was still breathing.

He wondered if he’d be so focused on her if he had the worries of life to handle as well, keeping a roof over his head, working to provide for his family. What little he could recall of the men he used to work with, the ones with families, was that they’d spent a lot of time complaining. Their wives nagged, their children were ungrateful, their dogs lazy. Would he have become like them if he hadn’t gotten cursed?

“Morning, Danno,” Grace said around a huge yawn.

“Good morning, big mouth,” he teased, smiling at her “oops” before she used her hands. “Go brush your teeth and wash your face so you can eat before you leave.” He turned away from her and started pulling out bowls so she wouldn’t see his face. She’d broken the news to him the day before that she could only spend the night, because the castle was having some sort of ball, and she needed to be there.

It was like the room had just disappeared, sucked right out of the window and into the darkness.

He’d wanted to scream, to hit somebody, to throw things, but he didn’t want his daughter to see That Guy. He didn’t want her to think of her Danno and picture someone angry and hurtful and destructive. As it was, she’d watched him push a prince right out of a window just a little while earlier. So he’d swallowed down the emotion and pulled her in for a tight hug, feeling her exhalation of relief right before she hugged him back just as tightly.

“We’re just going to have to have the best indoor picnic ever to make up for it,” he’d said, the act of forcing levity into his voice, one of the more difficult things he had done.

So he sat them down on a blanket and did his best to exclaim over the sugary treats she’d smuggled out to him, letting her throw raisins in the air so he could try to catch them in his mouth. He made her laugh, and by the time she’d taken her shower and snuggled into bed, she’d looked like the carefree child she deserved to be.

He felt her return to the room and brought out cereal and fruit, handing her some of it so he could carry her glass of milk to the table.

She no longer asked him why he didn’t eat breakfast. His, “I’m not hungry” really meant “I can’t eat, because you’re leaving me”, but he hoped she didn’t know it. The last thing he wanted was for her to feel guilty about him, because no matter the disappointments and the worry, he wouldn’t change having her in his life. The truth of it was that she was the reason he tried every day, the reason he rose and showered, ate and read, exercised and dressed. If not for her, he would’ve gone crazy long ago and sought out the escape.

So that was what he focused on, his Monkey sitting across from him eating breakfast and telling him what her tutors had been teaching her. He gave her a few facts she could use to knock them off their guard a bit – she enjoyed surprising her elders with unexpected knowledge from her dad, and she promised to tell him how they reacted on her next visit.

They gathered her things, their conversation drying up, Danny still trying to be positive for her sake, as he always did.

“There’s this boy who uses the weapons room,” Grace said as they started down the stairs.

Danny tried not to tense. He knew she would see it in his back. He’d known she would eventually start talking about boys, but she was only ten years old! “Yeah?” He said, impressed that he didn’t sound as wound up as he felt.

“He’s training for the army. They’re teaching him how to take care of the weapons.”

“What’s his name?”

“Marcus.”

“So, what about this Marcus?”

“He seems nice, maybe.”

Then a thought occurred to him. He stopped and turned around, catching her as she almost bumped into him. “I don’t really hear you talk about your friends anymore. You do have friends, right?”

She shrugged half-heartedly, her eyes lowered.

“Does…” his mind searched for the name. “Maggie still work there? She used to bring your mom her food and… stuff?”

“Mommy’s maid?”

“Yes. Tell her that I said you need some friends your age, little girls you can play with. Okay?”

She nodded. “Okay.”

He couldn’t stop himself from kissing her on the forehead. “Good girl.” He hoped Maggie still had the opinionated, independent spirit from years ago during the short time he had known her.

“Let me know how it goes, okay?”

She nodded.

They finished descending the stairs, and he gave her a huge hug as the door formed. “I love you. Listen to your mom, and fo -”

“-Follow directions,” she said, giving him an impish grin. “Or you’ll push me out the window.”

“Not funny, Monkey!” He grinned back at her as she waved and walked through the door, which closed behind her and disappeared.

Walking back up the stairs took twice as long, and Danny wasn’t surprised but was disheartened to find that the window had disappeared as well. He collapsed on the wooden bench and leaned forward, elbows on his knees, hands behind his head. Forget about waiting for Grace to arrive. This – this was the worse time of all, right after she left, and all he could hear was the thump of his own heartbeat.

“What happened to all of the nice furniture?”


	5. Chapter 5

His head shot up, and Danny blinked, thinking maybe he’d finally gone crazy, because he was imagining that prince guy back in his tower.

“I figured that the window would disappear, but this is a shithole.”

Danny could only sit there as the prince strolled around the room, idly touching the lamp on the desk. After a few seconds, he sat on the edge of the bed and stared at Danny, who stared right back at him.

“So, how long has it been like this?” the prince asked softly.

“Ten years,” Danny whispered.

The prince sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. “That must be rough.”

“I have Grace,” he said, his voice a little stronger and – he hoped – less broken. This was just a bad time for him. He didn’t have the energy to put up a front, to pretend that things were better than they were, that the air didn’t scratch at his lungs with each breath.

“But she’s not here all the time, right?”

“I can’t – I can’t do this now,” Danny managed, somehow forcing himself to stand and walk to the bathroom. He stripped automatically and stepped into the shower, pulling the curtain. He turned on the water and leaned into the spray, closing his eyes and trying not to think.

 

The prince paced around the room, reading the spines of some of the books he found filling a bookshelf spanning one entire wall, ignoring the ones in piles around the small room. He’d lived his life knowing about magic, but it had never intersected with his life as it had been doing lately, and it was throwing him a bit. He and the others had decided that he would climb the tower again the next morning since they didn’t know when the window would disappear. This would give the prince another chance to talk to the man, this Danno, again. The three sat there and grilled him on things to say, although he thought he said things just fine. It was just that this guy didn’t like royalty, so he was already on Danno’s bad side for his heritage. Chin told him he needed to speak plainly, focus on how they could help him get out of the tower. Kono suggested that he actually smile when he spoke to the guy and refrain from judgmental statements about his home, wardrobe, fashion sense. That just sounded like stupid advice, because as prince, he knew his opinions on things like that were impeccable. But he was learning that a pissed off Kono made everyone miserable, so he just nodded. JennaKaye told him to “be nice”. Whatever.

But as he’d climbed the tower, this time faster since he knew what to expect, he kept their advice running through his head: focus on how they could help Danno, smile, be nice. He slid in through the window, surprised to find the rooms empty until he heard voices coming from an open doorway leading to what turned out to be a stairwell. He smiled as he listened to the fatherly advice being given, although his smile slowly faded as he heard the pain in the man’s voice. Suddenly feeling like he was intruding, the prince backed away – just in time to watch the opulent room melt into what resembled more like a small step above the jail cells in his kingdom. The rich colors, the golds and greens became browns, grays, and blacks. The large bed became a small single that the prince wasn’t sure would fit his length. The table disappeared, as did the comfortable sofa and the icebox, the plush carpet, the large bathroom. The room somehow managed to feel smaller despite the fewer items in it. He turned slowly, seeing what was left: the cot – he refused to call it a bed – a desk with a chair and a lamp, a small cabinet, a miniscule bathroom containing a shower with a sink and a toilet, and all of the books. The bench beside the door surprised him – it was one of the only nonfunctional items remaining in the room.

Hearing footsteps coming up the stairs, he faded into the background, an automatic reflex. He was unprepared for the devastated look on Danno’s face as he collapsed on the bench and leaned forward, hands pressing on the back on his head. He had to fight the urge to walk over to the man and… he didn’t know what. Squeeze his shoulder or give him a hug or something. Instead, he opened his mouth and did the exact opposite of what he had been advised, complaining about the man’s crappy furniture, smile nowhere near his mouth.

But as the man lifted shocked, red-rimmed eyes, the prince could only sit there, his heart breaking at the despair. He couldn’t help wondering exactly how long it had been like this for the man. He caught his breath after Danno told him, trying to picture living sequestered in a tower for ten years. Granted, he didn’t have a daughter, so he couldn’t imagine that seeing only her sporadically could be enough for him to keep his sanity without being able to see the sky or feel the sun on his face. As it was, he got antsy after spending more than overnight inside. That, he figured, would provide incentive for him to figure out a way to bust them both out of this tower. Otherwise, he was going to have to wait until the door opened to let in Grace and slip out that way or wait until another window magically appeared. Kono was doing her best, but evidently it was damn near impossible to perform magic on something she couldn’t see.

He pulled a scroll out of his pocket. At least they had this. He heard the water stop and looked around for a way to give the man privacy, but there really wasn’t any place for him to go.

The man, Danno, walked out of the small bathroom, eyes closed, idly toweling himself off: the prince averted his eyes, but not before the caught a glimpse of impressive arms and shoulders and a chest covered in what looked like soft blond hair. He absently wondered what exercises the man did to stay so fit and made a mental note to ask him about it when the situation wasn’t so awkward.

He’d showered with men before, bathed with them in streams and lakes, changed beside them before and after surfing, even enjoyed a little one-on-one time with a couple of them, but never had he felt so self-conscious. Maybe it was because they were inside, or maybe it was due to the fact that it was just the two of them in this small space. Or maybe it was his mother’s fault, planting the idea in his head so that he’d spent this entire trip trying to wrap his mind around the idea that he was destined to find his true love waiting for him with long, blond hair… He turned back to find the man clothed, well mostly clothed, as he finished buttoning up his shirt and slipped on a tie.

“Why the tie?” he asked.

“What? A man can’t take pride in his appearance?” Danno sounded tired, but the prince was relieved to hear some of the feistiness from the previous day returning to the man’s voice. He turned to face the prince and while his eyes were clearer, his face still looked sad. And a little tired.

“Yeah, but you’re up here alone.”

“That doesn’t mean that I can’t be civilized,” Danno said calmly, tightening his tie.

“But a tie? That’s going a bit far, don’t you think?”

“The tie pulls it all together, thank you very much.”

“I figure if there’s no one around to care, I’d wear what I wanted. Hell, I might even forego clothes all together.”

Danno gave him a considering look, one that made a sudden, unaccustomed warmth flood the prince’s body, but he only said, “Not all of us are uncouth philistines.”

“Some of us are actually princes,” the prince shot back.

“Yeah, about that. What’s your name again? Because I’m not about to bow and call you ‘your highness’ all the time. Or, actually, ever.”

The prince smiled. “I’m Prince Steven McGarrett of Hawaii.”

“Okay, Steve,” Danno said, his voice laced with the happiness of someone who knew he was being annoying.

Steve stifled a sigh.

“So how’d you get back in now that the window’s gone?”

Steve shrugged. “I climbed up the tower, just as I did yesterday, and came through the window just before it disappeared.”

“So you’re stuck here too? Man, I’m sorry about that.” Danno stepped forward, then stopped, as if unsure of what to do. He ran a hand over his forehead and winced.

“You okay?” Steve asked, concerned.

“Yeah, it’s just.” Danno flipped his long blond braid over his shoulder and squeezed at the tip, sending a small stream of water onto the floor. He dropped his towel over the spot and used his foot to swirl it so it could soak up the water. Unbanding the tip of his braid, he started working his way up, unraveling it just as a small bell sounded in the room. “Food shows up every morning and evening. I hope you don’t mind a vegetarian diet, because I get no meat, which works out perfectly, since I have no way of cooking anything.”

“How did all this happen?” Steve asked.

“That, my friend, is a long story to be told over a stiff drink. Or, barring that, a delicious meal of various cheeses, fruits, and vegetables -” he rooted around a hidden cupboard in the wall, “- and thanks to my wonderfully devious daughter, we have desert.” He pulled out a brown sack, large smile on his face. “Chocolate chip cookies!”

Steve didn’t have the heart to confess that he wasn’t a big sweets fan so he just smiled and nodded.

Danno replaced the cookies and stood, fingers returning to his braid. He noticed Steve’s watching him, and he shrugged. “Usually I just pull it back, but Grace likes to braid it when she’s here. Sometimes the weight gives me headaches.”

“Why don’t you just cut it?”

“Using what? My rapier-like wit?” Danno spread out his arms. “There’s nothing here sharp enough to cut it. Grace’s tried to smuggle me a knife or some scissors, but it always disappears from her bag by the time she arrives. When I was first sent here, I thought it was so I didn’t do anything, you know, drastic.” His eyes flittered away for a moment, and Steve wondered if he realized how much he gave away in that small movement. “Anyway,” Danno continued, “the point is, I got nothing.”

“How do you shave?” Danno had scruff, but it definitely wasn’t ten year’s worth.

Danno shrugged. “Magic.” He gave a faint smile. “Things don’t make a lot of sense here. I get food every day, the shower never runs out of hot water, I never run out of books. The lamp always works but only at night, and the bulb never gets hot or blows. I never grow anything more than this on my face.” He ran a hand over his chin. “The door magically appears and opens for Grace whenever she comes and leaves. When she was a baby, she’d just appear.”

“Out of nowhere?” Steve was a little intrigued.

“Yep. I’d smell cinnamon, then I’d hear this little popping noise, and bam! She’d be lying there in the middle of my bed.” He laughed. “You have no idea how much it scared me the first couple of times.”

Steve looked around. “How do you stay sane?”

“I’m not totally sure I am.” He smiled a small smile at Steve’s look. “I read a lot, talk to myself, think of Grace. You’re the first adult I‘ve spoken to in ten years, and even though Grace saw you yesterday, I have to consider that you’re a figment of my very lonely imagination.”

“Want proof?” Steve reached behind him. “How about I cut your hair for you?”

Danno’s eyes gleamed, his large, beautiful smile taking Steve aback for a moment. “That would be so ama-“ Steve pulled his knife out of its sheath, “-zingly dangerous. Why don’t we just leave my hair on my head –and my head on my neck.”

“I know what I’m doing,” Steve promised. He’d used this knife to skin many a beast, and quite a few of the perfect hides were used in the castle. Danno didn’t look reassured by that fact, though.

“I bet all of those animals were dead by the time you finished skinning them.”

“They were dead before I started skinning them,” Steve pointed out.

“So they couldn’t complain if you accidentally, say, slashed them.”

Steve laughed. He couldn’t help it. “Do you argue about everything?”

Danno was not amused. “Excuse me for being concerned about my safety.”

Ignoring him, Steve grabbed the bench, sat on the bed, and placed the stool on the floor in front of him. “Have a seat.”

Danno grabbed a wastebin from the bathroom and placed it beside the bed. “Remember Grace, that sweet little ten year old? It would be a shame to leave her fatherless,” Danno muttered, sitting with his back to Steve.

Steve ran his hand through the hair, trying to best decide how to go about it. It was softer than he had expected, and before he knew it, he was sitting there petting Danno. Forcing his mind back to the matter at hand, he gathered a few strands, raising his knife and…

“Wait, wait a minute,” Danno said, pulling forward and twisting around to find Steve, arm raised, ready to strike. He eyeballed the knife. “I am not reassured by this view.”

“Danno, just sit still, and there won’t be a problem.”

Danno glared at him. “What did you just call me?”

“Danno. That’s your name, right?”

“No. That is not my name. That is the nickname my daughter gave me. It’s the name that she and she alone gets to call me.”

Sighing, Steve lowered his arm. “So what’s your name, then?”

“Danny. The name is Danny.”

“Okay, Danny. Stop being such a baby and let me cut your damn hair.”

“Okay, okay,” Danny muttered, turning back around. “You don’t have to be so pushy about it.”

Steve rolled his eyes, gathered some hair, and began to cut. One minute later, Steve stopped cutting, grabbed the book resting on the desk, and tossed it to Danny. “You’re talking too much.” He saw Danny’s fleeting look of chagrin and realized how it must’ve sounded to someone who’d been alone for so long. “Normally, it wouldn’t be a problem, but you don’t just talk with your mouth; you do it with your entire body. If I accidentally cut you, I’ll never hear the end of it.”

“Fine,” Danny sniffed, and Steve relaxed when he didn’t hear any signs of the unease he’d seen on Danny’s face.

Less than fifteen minutes later, Steve’s stomach growled.

“Now who’s talking with his body,” Danny teased. “Want to take a break, rest your carving hand, and eat?”

“I’m almost finished.” The hair was a little longer than he would’ve liked, just above Danny’s shoulders, and it was completely unstyled, but as good as he was with his knife, Steve didn’t want to hazard hurting Danny by cutting too close. “You’re definitely going to need to go to a professional, but at least you don’t have to worry about tripping over it anymore.”

With a dramatic groan, Danny stood and stretched, hands in his hair. He stood there a second, head down, before turning to Steve. Steve sat there silently, watching Danny, trying to figure out what the man was working out, but contrary to what everyone he knew thought, he could be patient. “So, thanks. For the hair.”

Steve couldn’t stop his eyebrows rising in surprise. “All that -” he gestured toward Danny, “just for thanks?”

Danny shuffled awkwardly, hands in his pockets, looking everywhere but at Steve. Steve was used to people not looking him in the eye – after all, he was the prince – but it didn’t feel right coming from Danny. “It’s just been a long time since I’ve had anyone to thank for anything, I guess.” He laughed and ran a hand over his hair, and Steve smiled at Danny’s grin. “It’s gonna take some time getting used to. So.” He clapped his hands together. “Meal time, since evidently someone hasn’t eaten in quite a while.”

“I had something a little before dawn,” Steve said.

Already bent over the cupboard, Danny said, “Yeah, that means nothing to me.” He angled his head so he could make eye contact with Steve. “You’ll find that your relationship with time will change in here.”

Steve hadn’t really thought about that. He looked around the room, suddenly feeling the full impact of his decision. There was no door, no escape hatch. He couldn’t even look outside – maybe it was raining. Maybe there was fog. How would he know? No sunrise, no sunset, nothing to tell him the time of day. He couldn’t take a walk to stretch his legs or feel the breeze. He was stuck inside…

The next thing he knew, he was back on the edge of the bed, his head being pushed between his knees as he fought to catch his breath. He heard mumbling, like a deep buzzing in his ear that eventually became Danny talking to him in a soothing voice. “Just breathe, Steve. In. Out. In. Out. You’re doing fine. You need to think of something else, or you’re going to go crazy. Are you with me?”

“Yeah,” Steve groaned, trying to sit up.

“No you don’t,” Danny corrected, pushing down. “Stay down there for a few more breaths.”

Unused to the concern and a little embarrassed by his actions – princes didn’t hyperventilate – Steve pushed back. “I’m fine.”

“I’m sure you are,” Danny said mildly, “but I’ll hop on your back and make you stay like this even longer if you don’t stop fighting me.”

After another second, Steve gave up, relaxing back down with a sigh.

“That’s it,” Danny murmured in a voice that Steve imagined he used on Grace when she was upset, his hand warm and heavy against Steve’s back. He’d never admit it out loud, but he found it very soothing. “Okay, so here’s the thing. Living here is like looking at the sun.”

“I’m going to go blind?” Steve shot back, his attempt at levity.

“He climbs tall buildings and practices comedy in his free time,” Danny muttered. “Focusing on it’ll only cause you harm. If you need to think about it, do it in measured doses. For instance, our meal. You can think about how much you’d like to have a nice juicy steak and roasted vegetables, but that’s as far as you go, and then you let it go. When you go to sleep, you can pretend you’re sleeping directly under the stars, but you forget about that by the next morning. It gets easier with time.” By this time, Danny’s hand on Steve’s back had stopped forcing him down and was rubbing slow circles. Steve was pretty sure Danny didn’t realize he was doing it, and Steve found that he didn’t want to draw attention to it in case it’d make Danny stop. After a pause, Danny said, “You know what I just realized? I have no idea why you’re here. Why did you come back?” The rubbing stopped.

With no benefit in remaining hunched over, Steve straightened with an inaudible sigh and briefly thought out his answer. He could give a few separate reasons for being in this room, all of them the truth, but he felt that some answers might not be taken well yet. So he decided to settle on the simplest answer. “I need your help in slaying a dragon that’s been destroying the outlying villages in my kingdom.”

“This about that key thing?”

Steve nodded.

Danny stood in the middle of the room, arms outstretched. “There’s no key here. Look around; go through my books. Check the cupboard, the bathroom. I can tell you that I have no key.”

“But I’m thinking that it may be a figurative key.” Steve rested his hands on his knees. “Maybe it’s something you’ve learned from all of these books or knowledge you’ve gained by living here. Or maybe you’re the key.” Steve’s stomach rumbled again.

Danny stared at him. “Maybe your brain’s starved for food too, because those are the dumbest things I’ve ever heard.” He turned back to the cupboard, grabbing some small packages and laying them on the bed. He paused for a moment, looking down at them before looking at Steve. “The table’s only here during Grace’s visits. When she’s not here, I’m usually at the desk or just eat on the bed. Or, I guess we could put a blanket on the floor -”

“Bed is fine,” Steve said, because really, it didn’t matter, and the small desk only had one chair. Steve figured they might as well be comfortable. “Can I help with anything?”

“You’re my guest, “ Danny said, adding with a grin, “even if you weren’t invited.” He tossed Steve the book he’d been reading. “Put that on the bed, if you don’t mind.”

Steve followed directions and scooched up the bed until his back was against the wall. It was comfortable and allowed him to watch Danny take out the packages, absently biting the corner of his lip as he contemplated them, sometimes staring at one in each hand before returning one of the packages to the cupboard. Finally he pulled out a cup with a lid and placed it on top of the book. “That’s water,” he said, pointing to the cup. “It fills itself up every time it’s emptied, and I don’t think there’s a limit. We’ll both drink whenever we’re thirsty, and I guess we’ll find out. I only have one cup, so we’ll have to share.”

Steve frowned, suddenly realizing that Danny was going to have to eat less to accommodate a second person. “Danny, I’m sorry. I didn’t realize -”

“Don’t,” Danny said. “I get more than enough. It’s fine. You, my friend, are the one who’s going to have to deal with pretty much the same food until we can figure out how to get you out of here.”

Steve noticed that Danny didn’t include himself in the departure plans, but there was plenty enough time to work on that. “Kono’s working on it.”

“And who is this Kono?”

“She’s a mage,” Steve frowned. “I suppose she’s my mage.”

Danny snorted, settling himself on the opposite end of the bed.

“What now?”

“Mages,” Danny said. “I just don’t like them or trust them as a rule.”

“You don’t like royalty, you don’t like mages. Who do you like?”

“Grace,” Danny said simply, laying out a napkin in front of each of them and opening up one of the packages.

Steve stared at the blond head, struck once again at how isolated Danny must feel. He needed to know more. “So, it’s meal time. You promised me a story.”

“I did, didn’t I?” Danny sighed, laying out some grapes, cheese, and crackers for each of them. “Oh – don’t spill the water. I haven’t finished the book, there are no more blankets, and you don’t want to sleep on a wet bed, believe me.”

“I’m not going to take your bed.”

Danny look unimpressed at the declaration. “You’re my guest,” he repeated before clearing his voice. “Right. So, my story.”

“Wait,” Steve said, “we haven’t given thanks.”

“Seriously?” Danny asked. “What do you want me to say? Thanks for the grapes and cheese and crackers that I could have gotten on my own if I weren’t locked in this tower? Thanks for my health, which I gotta believe would be better if I could breathe some fresh air and get some sun on my skin, maybe run a bit.”

“You have Gracie,” Steve pointed out to him.

The attitude whooshed out of Danny. “Yes, yes I do.” He closed his eyes, held out his arms in a dramatic gesture, and said, “Thanks for Gracie.” He opened his eyes and stared at Steve. “We good now?”

Steve made sure Danny saw him roll his eyes right before he closed them to give his own thanks. It was something that’d been instilled in him from childhood. The tutors and nannies who Believed made him do it so he could connect with a higher power. The ones who didn’t Believe made him do it out of a firm conviction that it kept him grounded – forcing him to appreciate throughout the day all that he had, of all that life was giving him. As he grew older, he tended to use it as a form of meditation: sometimes when the day was perfect and waves were epic, he would close his eyes right out there on the water, straddling his board, and take stock of all that surrounded him so the perfect moment wouldn’t be forgotten. This time, he gave thanks that he had made it through the window a second time before it closed, that Danny was no longer alone. He gave thanks for Danny.

Danny stared at Steve while the man closed his eyes and gave thanks for whatever it was that royalty gave thanks for. It was the first time he had actually had time to look his fill, and he had to fight the urge to raise his hands and touch the man’s cheek, trace his lips with his fingertips. He hadn’t felt this way about anyone for a long time… and never with a man. Confused, his eyes tracked the movement underneath the man’s eyelids, his attention held by the long, dark lashes.

It had to be the ten years of forced exile. The only adult company he’d had was his own hand, so he supposed it made sense to be attracted to the first one with whom he’d come into close contact. That had to be it. So, as long as he didn’t do anything crazy that could possibly get him punched until Steve left, he’d be fine. He could totally do it.

And then Steve opened his eyes and smiled, and Danny knew that he was in some deep shit. “We’re good,” he said, and it was all Danny could do not to lean over and plant one square on his lips. “You okay?”

Danny cleared his voice and forced a smile. “I guess I’m a little hungry too.” He picked up a cracker and a piece of cheese, pausing with it close to his mouth. “Am I allowed to eat now?”

Steve smiled. “Have at it. But remember, you promised me a story.”

After chewing and swallowing, Danny said, “That’s right. But it’s more of a pathetic fairy tale, really.”


	6. Chapter 6

“Once upon a time there was this young man who thought he was doing pretty well. He worked for the sheriff of a small to medium-sized town,where there was just enough action to make it interesting but not so much that things got overwhelming. He was learning a lot, loving his job, and while he was no Lothario -”

“Too short?” Steve asked, chewing on a piece of melon.

Danny glared at him. “It was more that he didn’t have game. It wasn’t like he could just smile, showing off his teeth and say, ‘hey, babe. I’m a prince’. Besides, this town wasn’t that large, and if you did a woman wrong, the story got around, and you’d have to venture far, far away for a little lovin’.

“Anyway, one day this woman runs into him – literally. He’s standing there, trying to get information on a missing goat -”

“Seriously? A goat?”

“Small to medium sized town, McGarrett. Anyway, he’s standing there, and she’s looking behind her and runs right into him. And she’s gorgeous. She has this long, dark hair, an amazing accent, and a smile that entranced him.”

“Entranced, huh?”

“Shut up and eat your cracker.

“She tells him her story, involving an evil stepfather and unbearable living conditions, and being the decent and honorable man he is, he helps her find work and a place to stay in town.”

“Let me guess. You had an available room.”

“Do you even remotely understand the meaning of the words decent and honorable? She stayed at the boarding house in town where the good, family-less, single girls live. It was run by the Widow Jenkins.”

“A good, kindly widow?”

“Think warden. She kept track of those girls at all times and threatened to flog any man who came around with lascivious thoughts. Now stop interrupting so I can tell my fairy tale.”

“Sorry.”

“Where was I? Right – so, she and the young man kept company for about five months, and when the time was right, he asked her to marry him.”

“Was it romantic?”

“What?”

“The proposal. Was it romantic?”

“He thought so at the time. He went all out, spending a week’s pay on flowers, candles, music. She must’ve thought so too, because she agreed to marry him.”

“What happened?”

“They got married,” Danny shrugged and tossed back the rest of the water. Taking the cup, he walked to the cupboard. “Watch this.” He made a production of returning the cup and closing the cupboard doors, counting to ten and reopening the doors, pulling out a refilled cup. “Voila! Magic.” He returned to the bed and put the cup back on the book.

“So that’s part one.”

“Yep. Thought we could use a small intermission.” What Danny meant was that he needed a break. Fortunately, it looked like Steve wasn’t going to call him on it.

“I’ll just check the scroll.” Steve stretched out a leg, reached into one of his pockets, and pulled out a rod. Unrolling it to reveal a piece of parchment, he looked at it a moment, nodded, and rolled it back up, returning it to his pocket. Just as silently, he grabbed his last piece of fruit and tossed it into his mouth, giving Danny a challenging look.

Danny really wanted to ask about the scroll, but Steve’s smug smile helped him force his questions back down his throat. He popped his own grape into his mouth and chewed, trying to figure out a way to sneak the scroll out of Steve’s seemingly endless pants pockets. Just because he wasn’t going to ask didn’t mean he wasn’t planning on finding out what was going on.

“So…” Steve prompted.

“So…” Danny echoed.

“The story? Part B?”

“Oh, yeah, there’s a part two,” Danny said, slightly emphasizing the number just to goad Steve a little. He gathered the napkins and tossed them in the wastebasket in the bathroom, grabbing the cup and holding it out to Steve. “Want more before I put it away?” Steve just continued to stare at him. So Danny shrugged, replacing the top and returning the cup to the cupboard. “I think I’m going to read -” he turned just in time to see Steve shove his book behind his back. “Seriously? Steve, give me my book.”

“Not until I hear part two.” Steve emphasized the number as well, arching an eyebrow. “You owe me the rest of my fairy tale.”

“I just feel that I’m the only giver in this relationship,” Danny complained, hand to his chest. “I share my tower -”

“– because you had no choice -”

“– my food -”

“– more like a light snack -”

“ – my water -”

“ – from a magically refilling cup -”

“ – and my stories. What have I gotten in return? A man who gave me a girly haircut -”

“ – because the floor-length fashion you were sporting was so macho -”

“ – and keeps his own secrets. And steals my book.”

“I could be down there, sleeping under the stars with my friends, eating a meal so hearty that my belly would be full for the next two days. Instead, I’m stuck up here with Mister Complains All the Damn Time.”

Danny hadn’t even known Steve a full day, yet Steve’s words seemed to pull the breath right out of his body. Sure, Steve was having a difficult time with being trapped, and he understood the feeling. Hell, he had lived it. And he knew he wasn’t the most genial of hosts. Looking back, he realized he’d pretty much bitched and complained all day. He supposed someone like a prince was used to… well, entertainment. He heard Rachel’s father’s voice in his head like it was yesterday, and he realized he was doing it again – trying to live above his means. “I’m sorry,” he said. He wanted to say something else, but there was nothing he could do to get Steve out of the tower, at least not until the next weekend when – if – Grace returned. He looked at the books on his shelves. Maybe there was something there. He’d only read the ones on the left side of the room. He closed his eyes and pushed the hurt down as he’d learned from the time spent with his royal inlaws. “I’m going to go check out these books, see if I can find a way to get you out of here. Help yourself to whatever you need.”

“Danny -”

Danny headed straight for his bookshelf. The last thing he needed was a pity apology, one that said that Steve was sorry for saying what he meant in such a mean way. The words he used were nothing compared to the feelings behind them.

Steve had thought they were joking around until he saw the smile slide from Danny’s face and the pain in the man’s eyes. Pain that Steve’s words had caused. He watched Danny’s eyes close; he reopened them, and all traces of emotion had disappeared. Danny’s whispered apology and then his graciousness had made Steve feel worse than when the snot had flown out of the dragon’s nostril and hit him on the side of the face. Danny’s walking over to the bookshelf felt as deliberate as the slamming of a door, and Steve had only himself to blame.

He wasn’t good at this whole emotional thing. He knew Danny didn’t really want an apology, but he wasn’t sure what he was supposed to say to fix it. Chin was better at this than he was. Oh. Chin.

He pulled his scroll back out and stretched out the parchment, laying it on the bed. He used the book to hold down the loose piece at the top and reread the short note Kono had burned. “He killed you yet?”

Grabbing the knife, he rooted around in a pocket until he found the pouch of…stuff that Kono had given him before he’d left. He dipped the knife in it like a quill pen to ink and didn’t so much write as carve, “Still alive. Hurt his feelings. How do I make things right?”

After a few seconds, he saw letters start to burn, forming the word, “Apologize”.

“Tried. He’s not interested,” Steve wrote back, frustrated at not being able to easily convey all he wanted to say.

“Does he matter? Be generous. Share.” That was from Chin. Sometimes, after they’d been drinking, Steve would bemoan his fate. Part of him wanted someone to be there for him, but the other part of him chafed at the demands it would make upon him.

“You’re selfish with your heart,” Chin’d told him one night at the castle after a few too many, and they lay beside each other on the sofa exactly where they’d flopped. “You’re generous with your money, and you love helping people in need – as long as you don’t have to share any of yourself. Your subjects won’t force you to talk about your feelings, and the king and queen don’t seem to do that either.”

“And yet they both found someone to marry,” Steve complained, head lolling on the sofa.

“Two word reminder: arranged marriage. You want any of that? I hear the next kingdom over has an available princess, and I’m sure that the queen would love to take care of the details.”

“No thanks,” Steve said, queasy stomach not feeling any better at the thought.

Chin had rolled over to face Steve and said, “When you’re with someone who matters, you’ve got to be willing to be generous with yourself and share who you are with them.”

Steve reread Chin’s words and looked over at Danno, who was muttering to himself while he pulled books out of the shelf and placed them in one of two piles he’d started on the floor. He looked back down at the parchment. “Does he matter?”

Steve wasn’t sure about a lot of things, but he knew that hurting Danny was one of those things that mattered. And he couldn’t leave, even if he wanted to. So he could either sit there in silence, knowing he had hurt the one person who hadn’t volunteered for any of this, the man who talked him down from his panic without making him feel less, who made him laugh and shared his meager supply of food generously, or go over and make things right. And he knew that later he’d be arguing over who got the bed – and he was fairly certain that Danny was more stubborn than he was himself, although he could picture Danny on the chair, him on the floor, the bed empty, because neither one wanted to give in.

Steve sighed and headed over to Danny, who didn’t look up at his approach.

“This pile here might have something that could give you and your friends an idea of a way to rescue you.”

“I’m not leaving without you.”

“And this pile here doesn’t seem to have anything pertaining to your needs, so just ignore them.”

Ignore them just like Danny was ignoring him, Steve thought, then almost sighed at how dramatic he was getting. Maybe Danny was already starting to rub off on him.

“When I was ten, I fell off my surfboard, and it knocked me unconscious.”

Danny’s eyes shot up in surprise.

“Obviously, I ended up being okay, but Chin, my best friend, pulled me out of the ocean and got me back to the castle. My mom and dad didn’t visit me the entire time I was bedridden. It’s not that they didn’t care; it just didn’t occur to them. They’re good people in their own way, but they aren’t what you’d call nurturing.

“So sometimes I say things that might sound cold or rude or mean, but know that it’s not my intention.”

“That’s your get out of asshole jail free card? My parents made me do it?”

Steve couldn’t read Danny, couldn’t tell if he were loosening up some or if he were just as angry, so he decided to continue. “I’m not blaming them. I’m just saying that this is something I’ve been working on for some time now. In fact, I used to be much worse. Chin and my parents were the only ones who could stand to be around me.”

“What happened?”

Steve frowned. “What happened to what?”

“What happened to make you decide to make such a fundamental change? Was it a girl?”

“No girl,” Steve snorted. “I went outside one day and was waiting for Chin when I saw a group of kids my age playing. I wanted to join them, but I saw the looks they were tossing me, and I knew I wouldn’t be welcome. I asked Chin about it, and once I assured him that I wouldn’t have him flogged or stoned for telling me the truth, I found that I was hated by pretty much everyone but Chin.”

“That must have been tough to hear.” Danny leaned against the desk, ankles crossed. At least he was listening.

“So Chin started working with me, and he enlisted the tutors to help me come up with exercises so I could work on my…”

“Interpersonal skills?” Danny offered with a small smile.

Steve gave an internal sigh of relief. “Yes, but obviously I’m still a work in progress.”

“Obviously,” Danny muttered, pushing off from the desk and heading over to the cupboard.

Uncertain as to what was happening, Steve stood there, watching, as Danny opened the doors and pulled out a bag. Standing, Danny gestured toward the bed.

“A bedtime story would not be the same without some contraband chocolate chop cookies.” He gestured toward the bed. “Hop on up.”

Steve gave him a little smile and sat on the bed, legs folded. That whole sharing thing hadn’t been as painful as he’d expected. Uncomfortable, yes, but painful? Not so much. And Danny hadn’t made him feel stupid or asked him all kinds of questions, for which he was inherently grateful.

“I wish we had milk, but -” Danny shrugged.

“Only one water cup,” Steve supplied.

“Only one water cup,” Danny affirmed, giving Steve a genuine smile. The smile faded as he gave Steve a cookie and sat at the foot of the bed, feet hanging off the side. He pulled out a cookie, stared at it a second before taking a bracing breath. “Okay. The sad little fairy tale part two. Where did I leave off?”

“They got married,” Steve told him.

“Right. Well, it was good for almost three months. He’d been putting aside a little each paycheck, and he’d managed to buy them a small house out in the country with a little land. It wasn’t that far from town, and they’d walk in together every morning for work and walk home every night.” Obviously, things hadn’t ended happily ever after. The wistful look on Danny’s face made Steve want to tell him to stop right there, but he remained silent.

“Then one day someone came running up to the jailhouse, saying that there was something going on at the tailor’s shop. The man’s wife worked there, so he rushed off immediately. He got there and saw three of the king’s guards surrounding his bride, and he went to protect her.”

“Against three royal guards?” Steve shook his head. “That’s not going to end well for him.”

“He took them,” Danny said boastfully. “All three of them, thank you very much.”

“Really?” Steve said doubtfully, looking Danny up and down. Granted, Danny’s body was in excellent condition, his muscular shoulders and arms straining against his shirt, his… Steve shut down his inspection and returned his gaze to Danny’s face, where he expected a challenging look, not the red-faced shifty-eyed expression he found. Not ready to read into it, he settled for lighthearted. “But you’re so… vertically challenged.” He grinned.

“It’s not the size of the tool that matters; it’s how you use it – and having the right incentive helps,” Danny pointed out archly. “They were going to take away his wife. You lay down your life for your family; it’s what you do,” Danny said simply.

“So did this man take his wife and run?”

“He realized he had to figure out what was going on before he could decide on a plan of action, so he took her to a secret place in the forest, one that he had stumbled upon while he was looking for a missing g -”

“Goat!” Steve sat up. “Is this that missing goat that you’d been looking for the day you two met?”

“Very good, Steven,” Danny said.

“So you found it okay?”

“It’d fallen and broken its neck,” Danny told him, “but it was still fresh when he found it, so they’d had a celebration with him as the guest of honor.” Danny gurgled a little laugh. “That was the first time he danced with her.”

Steve felt a little sad about the goat for some reason, and some of it must have shown on his face.

“Are you feeling sorry for the goat?” Danny laughed. “I bet you’ve killed tons of things.”

“Slayed,” Steve corrected. “I’ve slayed tons of things, but a small, innocent goat that had gotten lost -”

“Look,” Danny said pointing at Steve, “you didn’t know this goat. It was a pain in the ass and mean too. See this scar?” He held out his left hand and pointed to a small mark on his wrist. “That’s where that stupid goat bit me once. Besides,” he said, pulling back, “it’d died instantly.”

“If you say so.”

Danny glared at him. “Anyway, so the man took his wife to the secret place, and that’s where he learned the truth about the woman he’d vowed to cherish all the days of his life.

“Turns out, she was a princess who had run away from her castle. She said she’d wanted to know what it was like to live life as a regular person, but she was lying. Again.”

“How do you know? She admit to it?”

“Distance gives perspective, and eventually he came to realize that she’d been spoiled, and running away was her way of pitching a temper tantrum. But it’s difficult going from the castle, where you’re waited on hand and foot, to living a life where you have to have a job and feed yourself. Believe me, it’s not easy.

“And she’d been on the run for about two weeks before she met her future husband, plenty of time for her to learn how difficult it was for a young single woman alone in the world with no skills. Then she ran into this schmo who was easy pickings, who ate everything she was dishing out. He cooked and cleaned -”

“He cooks? Really?” Steve was intrigued.

“He was a bachelor for many years. It behooved him to learn how to cook.”

“Behooved? Where do you get these words?”

“Shut up, or I’m done.”

“Sorry. Continue.”

“So, she’d left home, gotten a chance to see the world up close, gotten scared, and found the first gullible guy she could.” Danny sighed. “I’m making her out to be this bad person, and rarely is anyone that black and white. She was just a spoiled princess, but she did make a good wife, she made him happy, and she…”

Steve waited a few seconds, and when Danny didn’t continue, he prompted, “And she…”

“And she told him that she was pregnant with his baby.”

“He must have been happy.”

“He was over the moon, but unfortunately, it was not like that would make all the other stuff go away. He knew that they wouldn’t be able to hide out from the king’s men indefinitely, and a life on the run was no place for a child. So they went to see the king.”

“What a ballsy move,” Steve said, impressed. “That must have been a tough conversation, though.” He tried to picture his father in that situation.

“It was completely naive,” Danny said, rolling his eyes. “They walked into the castle holding hands -”

“Even though he was angry with her for lying?”

“She was pregnant,” Danny shrugged.

And for Danny, that was it. Steve had seen him with Grace, and he could imagine how easy the decision would be for Danny to push everything aside for his child.

“Anyway, the king cleared out the room except for the queen and the couple, not a difficult thing to do, because the king turned into this, like, monster when he was angry, and no one had ever seen him this angry before. He screamed and yelled and stomped and snorted, but the man wasn’t scared.”

“Why not?” Steve asked, entranced.

“Because impending fatherhood gave him clarity. It was obvious to him that the man was so upset because he’d been worried about his daughter, and he’d missed her. He’d probably lain in bed wondering if she were still alive, if she were hurt or scared, and he wasn’t in a position protect her or help her. And after he’d yelled for a good ten minutes, he took her into his arms and hugged the stuffing out of her.”

“That’s nice,” Steve said happily.

“Unfortunately, he was far from being enamored about the marriage. He didn’t even acknowledge the man directly the entire time, talking about him but never even looking at him. He told his daughter that no commoner was allowed to touch her upon pain of death.”

Once he thought about it, Steve realized that royalty was pretty protective of its females. “Obviously, he didn’t die.”

“No, but it was close,” Danny said, taking a small bite of his cookie, closing his eyes to savor the taste.

Steve didn’t like the sound of that. “How close?”

“The lying on his back in the mud, ropes attached to his ankles and wrists, and four horses ready to tear him apart kind of close.”

“Drawn and quartered?” Steve asked, heart pounding as he pictured it in his mind.

“He wouldn’t be too ashamed to admit that he’d never been so scared in his life,” Danny said, his voice normal as he picked up an errant piece of cookie off the bed and popped it in his mouth.

Steve could barely hear beyond the pounding in his head. “But – how did-”

“How did the man escape? Actually, the princess finally – finally! – revealed to her nanny that she was pregnant, and said nanny told the king’s mage, who blinked the man out of the ropes just as the horsemen galloped away, ready to tear him to the four winds. Evidently, there was some law against ripping apart the father of a future princess just because he fornicated with her mom in a legally binding consensual manner.”

His heart still pounding, but slightly slower, Steve tried to joke to prove he wasn’t affected as much as he was. “The law was that specific, was it?”

“Actually it was. However, the man still had to be punished somehow, so he was banished to a tall tower on the outskirts of the kingdom. The only contact he was allowed was every weekend when his daughter was allowed to visit him, barring any official functions, within reason.”

“Who decided what was within reason?”

“Hell if he knew,” Danny said.

“How did they contact him to tell - this is ridiculous,” Steve said suddenly. “Can’t we just admit that we’re talking about –”

“No,” Danny said calmly.

“No,” Steve repeated, confused. “Why not?”

“Right now, it’s a story. Stories go into those books over there,” Danny pointed to his overflowing bookshelf, “and we can read them and think, ‘thank heavens this isn’t my life’ and be glad that we don’t live in that world, that whatever ills have befallen the characters in the story are not our problem. Let’s just keep our story where it belongs.”

Fine,” Steve said, although he thought it was stupid. “How did they contact him to tell him when his daughter wasn’t coming? Maybe he could use that as a way to contact the mage or someone who could help –”

“The only contact he was allowed was every weekend when his daughter was allowed to visit him, barring any official functions, within reason,” Danny repeated.

“I don’t under –”

“I know she’s not coming when she doesn’t come,” Danny said simply, hopping up from the bed, his gaze everywhere but at Steve.

Steve didn’t have to look at Danny’s face to know how devastating he would feel to wait in vain for the only person he could see. Add to that, he knew how much Danny loved his daughter, how she was the single thing keeping him sane. He couldn’t imagine waiting for her every weekend, hoping she would show, afraid she wouldn’t. He wondered how long Danny stood there on the days when she didn’t arrive, how long it took him to give up. And then what did he do with himself, stuck in a place that must have felt even lonelier to him?

“So that’s the story,” Danny said.

“So far,” Steve said slowly.


	7. Chapter 7

Ignoring Steve’s comment, Danny brought over a pile of books and dumped them in the middle of the bed. “Grab a book. These are from the how-do-we-get-Steve-out-of-the-tower pile.”

“There’s going to be more to the story.”

“Oh, I’m sorry that my story didn’t end in a way that fulfilled you, traditionalist that you are. Okay. He was blinked to the tower, where except for various weekend visits from his daughter and one by a strange prince from a neighboring kingdom, he lived the rest of his days eating fruit and cheese and crackers and treats smuggled in by said daughter. The end.”

“Danny, I’m getting you out of here,” Steve promised.

Danny sighed and closed his book, staring right at Steve. “I appreciate the thought; I really do. But this is my life; this is all I get. I couldn’t leave even if the magic door appeared right now.”

“Why not? Do you feel you deserve to be here?”

“Hell, no!” Danny said. “But if I leave here, I lose Grace.”

Steve ran a frustrated hand through his hair. “Okay. So what if we figure out a way for you to get out and still see Grace?”

“You certainly aim high, don’t you?” Danny asked, and Steve could tell he was impressed. He’d deny it if anyone suggested that it made him feel pretty darn good.

He felt movement in his pocket and pulled out the scroll. Pushing the books aside, he unrolled it and laid it flat on the bed. “It looks like maybe Kono came up with something.” When he got no response, he looked up to see Danny staring at him. “What?”

Danny pointed to the scroll. “Do I get to read the thing now, or do you want me to go to the other side of the room so you can write secret notes to each other?”

Closing his eyes for a moment and sighing, he said, “Just come over.”

“Are you sure I’m invited? Maybe you should get Kono’s permission before offering to let me in on state secrets.”

Steve opened his mouth to make a snarky comment, but he saw through Danny’s bluster and realized that it was one of the ways he was able to stay alone for so long and keep his sanity. Besides, Steve still felt bad about hurting Danny’s feelings earlier. “Danny, please come back to the bed and read the scroll with me.”

Danny sighed and edged back toward the bed, leaning forward. “It’s blank.”

“Be patient,” Steve said. A few seconds later, words started to appear.

“Dead yet?” Danny read. “What does that mean?”

“It’s Kono’s idea of a joke,” Steve muttered, pulling out his knife and the packet of magic herbs.

“Does she think I’m up here eating people or something?”

“What? No!” Steve protested, readying the knife.

“Does she think I’m up here because I make a habit of killing people? Why would she think you were in danger?”

“You did push me out of the window last time,” Steve said, distracted, as he carved, “Mage put spell on Danny. He won’t leave without Grace.”

“That was an accident! Besides, I apologized!”

“Actually, you didn’t,” Steve said, waiting for a response on the scroll.

“Are you sure? I’m pretty sure…. I apologized,” Danny mused.

“What’s the mage’s name?” Appeared on the scroll.

“Kono wants to know the name of the mage who cursed you.”

“Kamekona,” Danny said.

Steve started to write the name, then stopped. “How do you spell that?” Danny spelled it, too fast for Steve to carve it. “Wait. K-a-what?”

Danny spelled it again, sighing when Steve couldn’t keep up. “Give,” he demanded, holding out his hand and wiggling his fingers.

Steve never shared his knife, but he handed it over to Danny. “Be careful,” he warned. “It’s sharp.” He hovered as he rose so Danny could sit in his place. “Make sure you have enough of the the stuff on it.” After a second, he added, reaching for the knife. “It’s more like carving than writing. If you just –”

Danny glared at him. “I know how to write, thank you. Go somewhere over there –” he waved at the bookshelves – “and stop hovering.” He waved his hands. “Shoo.”

“That word usually precedes my getting pushed out of a window,” Steve complained.

“I apologized for that,” Danny said, his focus on the scroll in front of him.

“No you didn’t,” Steve reminded him, only to be ignored. Grumbling, Steve walked over to the bookshelf, taking a book and idly thumbing through it as he leaned against the desk. Every so often, he’d look over at Danny, hunched over the scroll, alternately muttering and smiling widely. Steve couldn’t help but smile himself. This was Danny’s first interaction with others outside of the tower – him excluded – in ten years. It pleased him to see the man so animated and happy. He supposed he could handle being banished to the other side of the room if it meant he could watch Danny like that.

 

Evidently, this Kono knew Kamekona, because the words she wrote had Danny looking around himself to see if she’d turned the air blue. “So… you know him,” he carved.

“He’s our cousin,” Kono wrote.

Danny wondered who the “our” was but decided not to pursue it. “You need to know anything else?”

“How hot is he?”

The comment threw Danny until he realized that that they assumed Steve was still writing. Briefly he thought about introducing himself, but where was the fun in that? He carved “I’m pretty sure my socks are on fire.” He couldn’t help but smirk as he waited for the reply.

“So, he matters.” The answer made his smile fade as he suddenly felt like he was eavesdropping on a conversation about him, which, now that he thought on it, he was.

After a quick glance to make sure Steve was still over by the books – and he paused for a moment to enjoy the look of him leaning against the desk, thumbing through a book, positively at ease with himself and his surroundings – he waited until the words disappeared before carving, “This is Danny. Did you have any more questions for me?”

“Chin here. Steve behaving?”

Danny wanted to snort but simply carved, “Eating me out of tower and home.”

“He’ll owe you a great meal then when you get out.”

Danny didn’t know how to answer that. He appreciated that these people who’d never even met him were trying to figure out a way to get him released from the tower, but he really didn’t think it could be done. Kamekona might be a big, jolly mage, but it would be a mistake to underestimate him. Danny mused on carving out a warning, but his hand was already beginning to cramp, and they obviously knew the man. He decided to settle on, “Thanks for the effort,” and leave it at that.

“Will let you know after talking to Kamekona,” appeared, and Danny watched the scroll until the words faded. As the King’s Mage, Kamekona was not really what Danny would call ‘public accessible’. But maybe there was some sort of mage or cousin-of-mage hotline or something. Or maybe things had changed since he had almost been dismembered. After all, ten years was a long time.

As a general rule, Danny tried to remain focused on the present and on things within his control. That didn’t really include a lot of stuff, but it was his stuff. He thought about stepping out of the tower, breathing fresh air, feeling the grass beneath his feet, looking up and seeing the sky. It’d been so long that he had a really difficult time imagining it, and he didn’t want to get his hopes up.

Returning to the present, he looked up from the scroll and found Steve staring at him with a look he couldn’t decipher. “What’s with the face?”

Steve looked startled, as if he hadn’t realized that Danny had been staring back at him for the last few seconds. “What face? I still have no face.” He pushed off from the desk, where he had been leaning, fumbling with a book in his hands. “May I get my scroll and my stuff back now?”

Danny held out the knife, blade down, and watched as Steve wiped it off on his leg before sliding it into what Danny assumed was a sheath attached to the back of his pants. “What did Kono have to say?”

“I actually, uh, spoke to Chin?” Danny said, trying not to look guilty for pretending to be Steve for those few moments. He held out the packet of ‘stuff’, as Steve called it. 

Steve took the pouch Danny offered him, rolled it into a tube, and shoved it another pocket, working the button until it closed. “Chin? Did he tell you where Kono was?”

“He said that Kono’s working on getting in touch with Kamekona, which is why, I suppose, he was working the scroll.”

“Working the scroll,” Steve smiled. “I like that.”

Danny didn’t know what Steve found so cute, so he just shrugged it off and rolled up the scroll. “He asked if you were behaving.”

Steve took the scroll, smiling smugly. “I always behave.” He put it in yet another pocket.

Danny opened his mouth to comment on Steve’s words, but he was distracted. “Tell me – and you can be honest, this is a safe place – those pants have some sort of magic that gives them a multitude of bottomless pockets, don’t they?”

Steve grinned. “Why’re you so interested in what’s in my pants?”

Danny tried hard not to flush at the words, determined to keep the conversation light. And clean. “What worries me is what comes out of them. You don’t have a bomb or something in there, right?”

The thoughtful look on Steve’s face had Danny nervous. “Right, Steve?”

“Umm, right,” Steve said.

“Okay. I can’t confirm that you’re lying, so I’m just going to take you at face value.” Danny stood, expecting Steve to step back and allow him space, but Steve didn’t move. After a few seconds, Danny looked up into Steve’s eyes. “Planning on stepping back any time soon?”

“A couple of different plans crossed my mind,” Steve said, small smile on his face.

Danny cleared his voice. He was fairly certain that Steve was expressing his interest, but Danny hadn’t been joking in his fairy tale about having no game. He’d misconstrued signs before, and that was back when he was around people all the time. Plus, the one woman he‘d won might have only gotten with him in order to have to someone to take care of her and help hide her from her father. It didn’t require much to interest someone who needed to use him. He’d probably looked like the biggest schmuck she’d found since she’d left the kingdom. Now, he wasn’t just rusty; he hadn’t even stepped a foot close to any kind of game. “If I didn’t know better, I’d think you were flirting with me.”

“How do you know I’m not?” Steve countered.

“For one thing, you were looking for a damsel when you crawled through the window.”

Steve shrugged. “So I found someone unexpected.”

Eyeballing him, Danny wasn’t sure how to take that. “I’m not sure how to take that.” They were so close that he could feel the heat emanating from Steve’s body.

Steve took a half step forward, bringing their bodies into contact, forcing Danny to lift his head in order to maintain eye contact. Steve’s flaring nostrils and the press of his chest proved that he wasn’t as relaxed as he’d seemed. “How do you want to take it?” Steve asked, his voice quiet as he started to lower his head.

Panicking, Danny said quickly, “I’m a mess.”

Steve stilled, staring into Danny’s eyes but remaining silent.

“I have… issues,” Danny added, licking his lips.

Steve took a step back, making Danny relax just as he missed the contact. “It’s not that I’m not… interested,” Danny started. “It’s just that –”

“You’re a mess,” Steve finished.

Sighing, Danny ran a hand over his hair, thrown for a moment by its new length.

“Is it because I’m a guy?” Steve asked.

“No! Well, I mean, I’ve never –” Danny used his hands to gesture between them, “- with a guy, but I’m not gonna lie and say that I’m not interested, you know, attracted.” He felt a little better when he saw one corner of Steve’s mouth curl up.

“It’s been ten years,” Steve said.

Danny jumped on that. “Exactly! Ten years, and the last romantic choice I made almost ended up with my being torn into bits.”

“I get it,” Steve said gently, making Danny feel delicate, and he didn’t like that.

“Plus, you’re royalty, and me and royalty? Horrible combination.”

“I understand, Danny,” Steve said.

But Danny couldn’t seem to shut up. “But – I mean, that was a relationship, and maybe this –” he did the thing with his hands again, “isn’t supposed to be more than a short term thing –”

“Oh, for crying out –” Steve placed a hand on either side of Danny’s head and pressed their lips together.

All words fled. All thoughts disappeared. All that existed were the press of Steve’s lips against his, the curl of Steve’s fingertips against the sides of his face, the feel of Steve’s body against his. It felt so good, and Danny’s hands rose to fist over Steve’s wrists, leaning in to the kiss, opening his mouth for more.

Steve barely recognized the groan that rose up from his throat as he tilted his head and slid his tongue into the welcoming warmth of Danny’s mouth. He realized this is what he had been looking for, what he had been waiting for. It had begun the moment he had climbed in through that window and had been leading up to this moment. The first touch of Danny’s hands against his wrists made him pause until Danny’s fingers curled around his skin, keeping him close. He wanted to smile at the firm hold, but Danny moaned, and Steve was lost. He trailed his hands down Danny’s side, Danny’s hand still gripping his wrists, until his hands rested on Danny’s lower back. Shuffling forward until he felt Danny’s legs hit the bed, he used his body to slowly lower Danny onto the bed, his arms leaving Danny at the last minute to brace his body so he wouldn’t crush the shorter man, keeping just a little weight for his arms.

“Not a fuckin’ baby,” Danny gasped, tearing his mouth away for a second before finding Steve’s mouth again. He pressed against Steve’s wrists until Steve collapsed on him.

A second and third groan from the press of their bodies – one from each of them – did make Steve smile for a moment before Danny pulled their hands around Danny’s head, rolling his hips up against Steve, confirmation of his desire making itself known.

A thought to their earlier conversation had Steve pulling his mouth from Danny’s. He wanted to just keep going, rub against Danny until they were both sated, but he forced himself to ask, “are you sure? You seemed a little nervous earlier, and I don’t want to force you in to something you might regret later.”

“Shut up, you goof,” Danny groaned, finally letting go of Steve’s wrists to grab his head and pull him back down to Danny’s mouth. Steve chuckled until Danny used the movement to slip his tongue back inside, and all of Steve’s token protests turned into smoke.

Steve ground his hips into Danny’s, feeling their straining erections rub against each other’s through their clothes. It had been a long time for him, although not as long as it had been for Danny, and he realized he needed to slow it down, or it was going to be over before it began. Easing to the side, he flopped on his back beside Danny, gulping large amounts of air.

After a few seconds, after he had regained his own breath, Danny looked over at Steve, concern on his face. “You okay?”

Turning on his side so he could face Danny, he felt a surge of affection for this guy who had been through so much but who was worried about Steve. Smiling he said, “It’s just been a while. I need to slow things down a little.”

Danny blinked and laughed. “I’d be lying if I said I didn’t know what you were talking about.” His smile faded, and he gazed up toward the ceiling. “And I wasn’t lying when I told you that I’ve never been with another guy, but I’ve only ever been with a few women.”

Steve wasn’t surprised. Everything about Danny screamed commitment and decency; the whole one-night stand thing wouldn’t feel right to him on any level, and Steve could’ve told anyone that after being in the same room with him for five minutes. “I’ve only been with a couple of men myself, and these were more experimental than anything else. They happened a long, long time ago.”

“Chin?” Danny asked.

“Hell, no!” Steve laughed. “Chin’s like a brother. Besides,” he shifted, resting his head against his palm. “I think Chin and Kono have something going on.”

“Hmm,” Danny said, and Steve stared at him, fascinated by the little lines fanning from the corner of his eyes. He wanted to run his hand over Danny’s chin, feel the roughness against his palms, trail his fingers along Danny’s soft lips. “I’ve been trying to picture what they look –”

The room was swept into darkness.

“Damn,” Danny said, his voice sounding louder in the room. “I guess I forgot to mention the enforced curfew.” He felt Danny rise off the bed, heard a bump and a muttered, “shit” before the desk was suddenly lit, causing Steve to blink until his eyes became acclimated.

“So, bedtime then?” Steve asked, watching Danny closely in the light.

“Yeah,” Danny said, and Steve could tell he wasn’t ready for anything more that night, which was surprisingly okay with him – a certain part of his body wasn’t pleased, but he’d had to deal with way worse, and there felt like more at stake than a simple night of what he was pretty certain was going to be a mind-blowing romp.

“I know it’s a tight fit, but we could share the bed.” He saw Danny hesitate. “We won’t be doing anything more tonight. There’s no rush.”

Danny scratched the side of his face, and Steve was glad he was shrouded in darkness. He knew he probably had some stupid, sappy look on his face to match the tenderness he felt watching Danno revealing his less aggressive, more uncertain side. He‘d caught glimpses of it, but this was the first time he felt like he was seeing Danny vulnerable, uncensored, and unconcerned that Steve was witness to it.

“Okay. Well, I’m – I have pajamas – only one set of course…”

“It’s fine,” Steve hopped off the bed, pulling off his shirt and taking off his pants to reveal a pair of the board shorts he wore in lieu of undergarments. He’d found the choice amazingly fortunate on many occasions, especially since he’d been fighting that damn dragon. He’d lost count of the number of times he’d returned to one of the nearby villages, his smoking board shorts the only thing keeping him on the legal side of decent. Of course, being prince also gave him more leeway. He looked up to find Danny’s eyes glued to his body. He hardened again just at the expression in Danny’s eyes and added gently, “You’re gonna have to change that expression, though, if you want me to keep my hands off you.”

Danny flushed and turned away.

“Hey -” Steve said, walking closer. He put his hand on Danny’s shoulder and squeezed.

Danny tossed a sweatshirt in his face. “And you’re gonna have to put something over that six pack, or I’ll jump you where you stand.”

Steve let out a startled laugh and took the shirt. “I can put mine back on…”

“It’s really comfortable,” Danny said, “and it’s clean. It’s always clean.”

“So, ready for bed?” Steve asked, watching Danny carefully.

“You’re my guest. Take the bed.” Steve opened his mouth, and Danny growled before stepping up and pressing his hips against Steve’s, and before he knew it, the blankets had been pulled aside, Steve was lying across it in the reverse position that he and Danny had found themselves earlier. The darkness made his other senses take over, and he enjoyed the unfamiliar but surprisingly erotic scrape of stubble against his face. Danny’s soft firm lips kept changing angles, taunting him with darts of his tongue, and Steve thought he was going to explode. He groaned, unable to stop his hips from rising and grinding against Danny.

Groaning himself, Danny thrust a few times himself before pulling away, resting his forehead against Steve’s. “Sorry, sorry,” he whispered.

“Why?” Steve whispered back.

“I’m not ready to go further, and here I am teasing you –”

“I could’ve stopped you,” Steve said, and he didn’t need light to know the look that was on Danny’s face. “I could have!” He insisted.

Danny chuckled, his breath ghosting over Steve’s mouth. “I’m sure, what with your restrained personality.”

Steve’s laughter turned into a protest as Danny pressed off him. “Go to sleep.”

Steve closed his eyes and adjusted his body to fit more comfortably in the bed and was out before he could gather another thought.


	8. Chapter 8

“No,” Danny said “I won’t have sex with you!”

“But it’ll get you out of here,” Steve protested.

“Maybe. Maybe it’ll get us out of here, but in the meantime, I’ll feel like some sort of…” Danny’s mind cast around. “…some kind of dirty john!”

Steve raised an eyebrow that alternately pissed Danny off and turned him on. “Dirty john.”

“Yeah. It’s like I’m using your body for my own gain. I won’t do it.”

Steve walked up behind him and pressed closely against Danny’s back, his erection making Danny’s heart pound. “Does this feel like I’m being used?”

Danny closed his eyes, hands balling into fists as he tried to control his breathing and retain his train of thought. “It just doesn’t feel right,” he insisted weakly. Steve’s arms wrapped around him gently, and his traitorous head fell back against Steve’s chest.

“Still not ready?” Steve asked, almost silently, his mouth directly beside Danny’s ear, the puff of his breath making Danny’s entire body shudder.

“That’s not the point,” Danny insisted, his voice coming out weaker than he’d intended.

He’d spent the night first in the chair, and when that grew uncomfortable, on the floor. He’d awakened, seen Steve lying there, long lashes against his skin, stubble making him seem darker, more dangerous, and in turn, more enticing. Sometime during the night he’d taken off the sweater, which now lay on the floor, and his bare arms were spread, as if he were waiting to fold them around Danny and pull him close. Shuddering – and thankful he had pulled the blanket over Steve during his venture from the chair to the floor – he quietly began his morning exercises, mindful for the first time not to make too much noise. He didn’t have to worry about it when Grace came over; in addition to sleeping like a hibernating bear, she snored like a swarm of bees. Danny would’ve worried about such a sound coming from his sweet baby if he hadn’t slept next to Rachel, who made Grace’s snores sound almost silent. He always pictured one loud roar emanating from the entire castle at night.

He’d gone through his circuit once, usually stopping there, but he had extra energy – due in no small part to the man sleeping across the room – so he proceeded to start from the beginning. He was on his twelfth pull-up, his arms straining, when he happened to catch Steve, still lying in bed, staring at him with hungry eyes. He figured he was probably staring at Steve the same way, but the man looking all sleepy and rumpled just made Danny want to crawl in bed right beside him.

But that would lead to all sorts of complications. Back before he’d met Rachel, Danny had dated slightly, and his male coworkers would always tease him, saying that he took things too seriously. And they said he made things complicated, just like a woman. Danny didn’t appreciate the comments, but he knew they were right in that he couldn’t help but look at the future. He couldn’t help asking “and then what will happen?” If he couldn’t come up with a scenario that looked like it might be beneficial for all parties concerned, he stopped right there. Would a night of mutual pleasure make either of them feel regretful in the morning? What would her friends and family think? How would she feel about herself? About Danny? He took his job as a keeper of the peace and a protector of the townsfolk seriously, and that included making sure he himself never took advantage. And to be honest, the temptation had never been unbearable, nothing he couldn’t handle fairly easily and deal with himself later when he was alone in his room. But no one had tempted him as much as Steve did, just lying there, small smile on his face, staring at Danny like Danny was his favorite flavor of ice cream, and he had a craving.

And it wouldn’t be taking advantage, Danny told himself. Steve was the one who crawled through the window – twice! Steve kissed him first, ground against him first… maybe, he thought as his mind acknowledged the ping from the cupboard signaling the arrival of breakfast. The point was, Steve not only knew what he was getting into, he was clearly welcoming it. So what was holding Danny back?

He supposed part of it had to do with the fact that Danny never took lovemaking lightly. As school-girlish as it sounded, Danny truly believed that sharing something that intimate left behind parts of you with that other person. And he was very much afraid that he would end up losing himself in Steve. The last time that’d happened, he’d been nearly broken – literally and figuratively.

And sure, there were never guarantees that any relationship would work out in the end, but Danny’s mind, the part that made him so good at detective work, couldn’t help but compile the lists of pros and cons. On the pro side, he knew that lying with Steve would be mind blowing. Seriously, he could see himself fragmenting, little pieces of Danny falling all over the room. He would get the chance to thoroughly investigate Steve’s body, map it out, investigate the highways and paths that told the story of his life. And he bet that Steve would be fun too, something that he’d never gotten from Rachel but had always kind of longed to have.

On the con side, he couldn’t help but compare Steve and Rachel. Sure, she’d come to him in disguise, but that just meant that he should know better with Steve. Both Rachel and Steve were royalty, which meant that they had obligations and demands to meet, and never would those obligations and demands be answered by a short commoner known to talk entirely too much and gesture frantically when he spoke. Steve couldn’t get pregnant, but that only meant that his mage would not be able to use it as a way to keep Danny alive once Steve’s king-father found out about them.

Talk about putting the cart before the horse, Danny almost snorted. He might just be handy for Steve, what with being the only person in the tower and all. Maybe it would mean nothing but a great romp to Steve, but unfortunately, Danny already felt himself growing attached. Steve’s leaving now would already hurt Danny terribly; he knew that going any further would make parting ways even more painful.

And then there was Grace, his beacon in the darkness. No matter how drawn he was to Steve, his daughter was, and would always be, first. She couldn’t very well go riding all over the countryside to see him, and he wouldn’t want her to do something so dangerous even if she could.

So, no. This thing with Steve couldn’t go any further. It wouldn’t work for any of them. Matter decided, Danny returned his focus to his workout.

And then Steve opened his eyes and smiled at him with that sleepy grin, and Danny forgot all about his list.

Fortunately, Steve kept his distance, although the way he stretched his body after climbing out of the bed, arms over his head, making the muscles in his torso flex, his morning erection tenting in his shorts, had made it painful to watch and not touch, and Danny couldn’t seem to make himself focus on anything else.

Eventually, Danny escaped to the bathroom, showering and dressing in record time, all the while aware of the man in the other room, not even a door to separate them.

Steve had already made the bed and was doing his own exercises when Danny emerged, combing his hair. Absently, Danny sat on the bed, running the comb through the short strands, his eyes on the roll of the muscles across Steve’s back, the way his biceps bulged, the way his calves flexed. Everything about this man was so damn beautiful, Danny thought, wistful sigh silent in the room. Danny looked up and found Steve focused right on him, their eyes locking as Steve inhaled and exhaled forcefully on his last pushup. “You should have awakened me,” he rebuked. “We could’ve worked out together.”

Danny rolled his eyes. What he wanted to say was that he knew their working out together would’ve ended with bodily contact and doing something to help deflate that tent in Steve’s pants, but he also knew that that conversation would only lead to what he had just determined would not happen.

“Now who has a look?” Steve grunted out, reaching up to the exposed beam Danny had to jump to reach, damnit, and beginning his pull ups.

Giving up on the pretense of doing his hair – after all, it took no time whatsoever now that Steve had cut it, Danny sat cross-legged on the bed, watching Steve’s abs perform for him. Eventually, Steve stopped and just hung there, watching Danny watch him.

Danny smiled.

“Enjoying yourself? Want a snack?”

“I thought about it, but then I figured eating without you would make me a poor host. Besides, I have no popcorn.”

Steve grunted and began raising and lowering his straightened legs, first bypassing Danny’s best and then bypassing Danny’s next goal.

Danny hadn’t realized he had leaned toward Steve, elbows on the bed, until Steve dropped, winded and sweaty.

“You just going to sit there and watch me all day?”

“Hey,” Danny protested sweetly. “I figured that it was only polite to watch, since you were putting on a show.”

Grumbling, Steve headed toward the bathroom.

“There should be a clean towel and washcloth on the hanger by now,” Danny told him. “Help yourself.”

Trying not to imagine Steve’s naked body under the spray, Danny headed to the cupboard and pulled out the cup of water and the fruits, cheese, and crackers. Sometimes the varieties of all three changed, and Danny was pleased to see that Steve wouldn’t have to eat the exact same cheeses that he’d had for dinner the night before.

Food ready, Danny headed over to the desk to continue reading his book. He was immersed in learning early Hawaiian history when two hands pressed against his cheeks, lifting his head and a pair of lips pressed against his, the combination of Steve and the strawberry he must have pinched and eaten leading Danny to immediately forget about what he had been reading. Danny’s hands went to the wrists as he leaned into the kiss, mouth open, tongue dueling with Steve’s. It was only until Steve pulled back and he took in a gulp of air that Danny realized he had been getting a little heady from lack of oxygen himself.

“What –” he had to clear his voice, “what was that for?”

“I‘ve been trying to get your attention for a while. What’s so interesting?” Steve picked up the book and read the spine, smiling. “You’re reading up on my history?”

“That was the book I’d started reading before Grace arrived and before you climbed in my window,” Danny corrected. “It’s a coincidence.”

“I don’t believe in coincidences,” Steve said.

“Oh, well, if you don’t believe in them, then they must not exist,” Danny quipped, taking the book from Steve’s hands, locating his place, and laying the ribbon on the page. Setting it back on the desk, he asked, “Ready for breakfast, or have you already eaten all the strawberries?”

Steve smiled, and for a moment, Danny wondered if he were going to go in for another kiss. Reminding himself of his decision, he tried to be relieved when Steve stepped back and let him get up.

They settled themselves just like the night before, Danny at the foot and Steve’s back against the wall, and Danny sighed, waving his arm.

“What?” Steve asked.

“Get on with it. The praying thing so we can eat.” Danny tried not to be pleased at Steve’s smile.

They had only just begun their meal when a piercing scream shot into the air – and directly through Danny’s heart. He almost fell off the bed. “What the hell!” He looked at Steve. “I’ve never heard that sound in the entire time I have been here.” He began to get worried. What if Steve’s friends had pissed off Kamekona, and the mage was going to exact retribution? He started looking around the room, for cracks in the walls, for anything shaking or falling. He wanted to apologize for getting Steve into this mess…

“It’s the scroll,” Steve explained sheepishly. “It gets pissed off when it’s ignored. They must have left us a message a while ago.” He leaned down on the floor for his pants and rooted around the pockets.

“Seriously? The scroll? I just lost valuable years off my life, because a scroll didn’t like being ignored? What the hell! Who came up with that shriek?” He was too wired to remain seated, so he stood and began to pace. “What was wrong with the scroll just saying ‘excuse me; I have a message for you’? Or it could have made an animal sound, like a bird chirping. There are absolutely no birds in here, so believe me when I tell you that a simple little bird chirp would’ve totally caught my attention!”

Unperturbed, Steve found the scroll and rolled it out. “It says that Kono spoke to your mage –”

“Kamekona is not my mage. He’s the king’s mage, thank you very much.”

Danny continued pacing, waiting for Steve to continue. When he only got silence, he turned to the bed. “What?”

“It says we have to kiss to break the curse.”

Confused, Danny sat on the bed and read the scroll himself. “But we’ve kissed, like, ten times already.”

“Three.”

“What?”

“We’ve kissed three times,” Steve said.

“You’ve been keeping count?”

Steve shrugged. “Three times isn’t difficult to remember.”

Danny watched the words fade. “So why are we still stuck here?” He mused while Steve leaned over the bed again, rising with the pouch and knife. “Tell them we’ve already kissed, and nothing happened. Ask about Grace, because door or window or whatever, I’m not leaving without assurances.”

“Hold on,” Steve muttered.

Unsettled, Danny hopped off the bed and started cleaning away all but Steve’s portion of the mostly uneaten breakfast. He tried to wrap his head around the idea that maybe he could actually leave. The thought of it scared him a bit as his mind filled with questions. What about Grace? Would he still get to see her if he left? How would they find each other? What were the conditions of his release – he knew enough about mages in general and Kamekona in particular to know to expect conditions. He figured he would try to help Steve with the dragon thing, but what would he do after that? The thought of leaving Steve made his mind step neatly over that question, because he knew he couldn’t leave Grace, but there was no way the king would let Danny live within sight of Rachel, even though their romance was all in the past. What would he do for a living? Where would he go? He hadn’t had to fend for himself, clean up after himself, even do laundry for ten years. Everything was going to be different out there.

“Danny!” Steve shouted, getting his attention. “I’ve called you three times.” He got that worried look on his face. “Are you okay?”

Just a little freak out, nothing major, he thought to himself, but he knew he was being pathetic, especially after all the work Steve and his friends had put into helping him. “I’m good,” he lied, knowing he would make do once – if – he got out there like he always did. He was nothing if not resilient. “What’d they say?”

“Grace is part of the deal – they said you didn’t have to worry. They, um, assumed we had just kissed, so they told us it might take a few minutes.”

“What did they say when you told them we kissed three times, the first time being last night?”

Steve’s eyes dropped, and he fingered the scroll.

“What?”

“I didn’t tell them.”

“Why not?”

“It seemed… personal.”

Danny was touched in a ridiculous way. “You goof,” he said fondly, walking over to the bed and sitting back down beside Steve. Taking the knife and pouch, he said, “Eat the rest of the food so I don’t have to put it away.”

Steve seemed happy to escape the upcoming conversation, and Danny found himself smiling a little. Dipping the knife into the pouch, he carved, “Danny here. We kissed three times, once last night. No magic entrance.” He paused a moment, then added, “Grace know yet?”

There was a long pause, Danny’s words disappearing for at least a minute before he received a response. “Chin here. Kono researching. Stand by.”

“Well?” Steve asked, standing at the foot of the bed, finishing a cracker.

“We’re standing by,” Danny said, for the first time taking in Steve in his shorts and Danny’s sweatshirt. “You might want to put on some pants while we wait. Who knows if we’ll have to make a quick exit, and heaven forbid you accidentally leave your bombs behind.”

“I thought you said you believed me when I told you that I don’t have any bombs in my pants,” Steve complained good naturedly as he pulled on the pants and fastened them.

“Who needs a bomb when you have a shrieking scroll?” Danny asked. “I swear, I was about to check my orifices for blood.”

“So dramatic,” Steve teased.

“Here we go,” Danny said as words started to form. “Since kiss didn’t work, you’ll have to take it further.” Danny studied the scroll. “What does he mean, ‘further’? We were practically dry humping each other.”

“Sex, Danny,” Steve said patiently. “Evidently, we need to have sex.”

And that was how they got to Danny, leaning against Steve, feeling Steve’s heart beat against his back, Steve’s hands traveling along Danny’s torso. After a second, Danny pushed away and glared at Steve. “Stop that! I know what you’re doing.”

Steve sighed. “Let’s be honest. We’ve been heading toward this since before you so rudely pushed me out of the window.”

Danny blinked, taking a second to go back. “I disagree on many levels. First of all, we didn’t start heading this way until after you snuck back in. And I apologized for shoving you out of the window.”

“No you, didn’t,” Steve interjected.

“I’m sure I did,” Danny insisted, quickly adding, “and then there’s the fact that I’d already decided this morning that we’re not going to have sex.”

That took Steve by surprise, but he rallied quickly. “When did you decide that? When you got hard watching me watch you exercise?”

Danny opened his mouth to complain at the rudeness of Steve’s bringing that up, but Steve held out his hand.

“Or was it while you were ogling me while I was doing my exercises? Perhaps it was while you had your tongue stuck down my throat.”

“It was sometime in between those last two, I think,” Danny said faintly.

“And when were you planning on sharing that information with me?”

Steve looked completely pissed off, towering over Danny, his eyebrows knitted together, combining with his dark stubble and glare to make him look extremely imposing. Heaven help him, Danny found the sight incredibly hot. “I hadn’t gotten that far,” Danny admitted meekly.

“Damnit, Danny!” It was Steve’s turn to pace the room. “There’re two of us involved in this!”

Danny held out a placating hand. “I understand that you’re upset –”

“Upset! Do you realize that I can’t remember the last time I felt so attracted to someone? I’m like a randy teenager ready to pop every time you look at me and do that thing with your mouth – ”

“Wait. What thing with my mouth?” Danny asked.

“The thing where you bite your lip,” Steve muttered. It’s really hot. But my point is –”

“I don’t do a thing with my mouth!” Danny protested. He thought back and couldn’t recall a single instance where he bit his lip.

Steve sighed. “Can we stay on track here?”

“I’m just saying,” Danny muttered petulantly, “that I don’t do a ‘thing’ and bite my lip.”

“Fine.” Steve stood abruptly and took the knife and pouch. He walked over to an empty part of the wall. “Hit me.”

“Excuse me?”

“Let’s list the cons. Give me a reason.”

“You’re royalty.”

Steve rolled his eyes. “You’re letting your past affect your present.”

“Really? So you’d take me home to your parents, the king and queen and say what? ‘Mumsie and Daddy, meet Danny. He’s a commoner from another kingdom who stepped way above his class and not only married a princess but also got her pregnant, and, as you can also see, he is a guy. So sorry, but as long as he and I stay together, you have no chance for offspring, and your lineage will die with me. Aren’t you happy for me?’ Is that the conversation you’re going to have?”

Steve opened his mouth, said nothing, closed it again and carved, “royalty” on the wall. “What else?” He asked, quieter this time.

“I get attached. I can’t help it. I‘ve never been the type who could separate my emotions from everything else. I‘ve already had my heart broken once, and I really,” he sighed, “really don’t want to go down that path again.”

Steve nodded and wrote, “broken heart” underneath “royalty”.

“And then there’s Grace. She’s a princess from a neighboring kingdom. I have to see her.”

Steve wrote “Grace” at the top, where she belonged. Danny smiled faintly.

“And then there’s you.” Danny said finally, eliciting a surprised look. “I’m not saying you’re a playboy or anything, but you don’t strike me as a man who is looking for commitment. You want to blow up dragons –”

“Slay,” Steve corrected absently.

Danny ignored him, “– and scale towers. Sex with me means complications.” He spread his arms wide. “I can’t help it; I’m a complicated guy. Hell, I’m stuck in a freakin’ tower! Nothing screams complicated like a curse.”

He knew by Steve’s posture that he had won the battle. Too bad he felt so shitty about it.


	9. Chapter 9

Steve looked at Danny’s sad face and realized that probably for the first time ever, Danny didn’t want to be right, but he’d made all good points. Steve couldn’t even pretend that he hadn’t begun to feel attached himself, and he wasn’t about to lie and say that sex between them wouldn’t make things more complicated. He sighed and walked toward the scroll.

“What’re you going to say?” Danny asked, slipping off the bed on the opposite side.

“No sex,” Steve said simply. He carved, “No sex. What’s plan B?”

A few seconds later, he smiled faintly when he read, “That was plan B! Stand by.” He looked at Danny, who had leaned over to read the scroll, their faces so close that he could see Danny’s lashes, his lips. “There! You’re biting your lip!”

Danny frowned, lip pulling his lip away from his teeth. “I was not…” he said weakly.

“You totally were,” Steve crowed.

The scroll vibrated, and a second later, “Having trouble locating Kamekona and need to do more research. This might take some time.”

Steve turned his head, his eyes locking on Danny’s. He knew a perfect way to spend the time, but he was trying to recall why he was hesitating…

It all came back to him when Danny pulled away, running a shaking hand through his hair. “We might as well be proactive.” He grabbed two books, tossing one to Steve.

Reading the spine, Steve – well, he didn’t whine, because that’s not what princes did- “This looks incredibly boring. Don’t you have a good thriller over there somewhere?”

“No thrillers, no mysteries, no sci-fi or romances. Just non-fiction, which I was kind of partial to before I got stuck in here.”

Steve raised an eyebrow. “No romances?”

“I’m just saying,” Danny said, glaring, “that it would be nice to have something different.”

A thought came to Steve, and he grabbed for the scroll.

“You’re so desperate for a change in reading material that you’re gonna bother them? They kind of have their hands busy, I imagine.”

“They can multitask,” Steve said, already carving. He finished quickly and set the items aside on the bed, grabbing the book and heading toward the bookshelf. Danny gave him a look as he passed, and he said, “Excuse me if I’m not in the mood to read about suppression of thought – ” he glanced at the book, “ – in a controlled environment, whatever that means.”

“Eh,” Danny said, “that one wasn’t too bad. If you really want to be bored, try the books on the top shelf over there.”

Steve took one look at the long words in the titles and didn’t even bother to touch one. “No thank you.” He looked over a few other books, nothing even remotely interesting catching his interest.

“Just pick a book already,” Danny muttered, his eyes still on his own.

“They’re all boring,” Steve complained, flopping back on the bed. “I’m bored.” He sighed when Danny ignored him. He looked around the room, nothing catching his interest, and he sighed again. “I’m bored.”

“No kidding,” Danny muttered, putting his book on the desk and standing. He stood there for a moment, just staring at Steve with that intent look on his face that made Steve want to wrap himself around the shorter man, to hell with Danny’s damn list. Steve was just about to do just that when Danny seemed to shake himself and moved to sit at the foot of the bed. “How about I tell you a story?”

Sitting up, Steve found himself excited to know more about Danny. “What story?”

“I’ll tell you about one of my cases.”

Steve rolled his eyes. “Like that poor goat?”

“That poor –” Danny narrowed his eyes, glaring at Steve, who tried – slightly – to hide his amusement. “You know what? Forget it. Just sit there and be bored while I go back to my book.”

“No, Danny, wait.” Steve reached out a hand, wrapping it around Danny’s wrist. “I’m sorry. I’d love to hear one of your stories.”

Apparently he’d lain it on too thick, because Danny continued to stare at him for a few seconds before sighing and rolling his eyes. “Enough with the puppy dog look.” He moved back toward the foot of the bed, forcing Steve to reluctantly let him go. “Actually, I got a break on one of my first cases thanks to a dog and a blind man with an eye patch…”

Steve made himself comfortable on the bed and let Danny’s words wash over him as he sat there, smiling, focused on Danny’s waving hands and the myriad of expressions crossing his face.

 

Over the next few days, they developed a routine of sorts. Danny had tried sleeping on the floor, but Steve only waited until he fell asleep and put him in the bed. It was a tight fit, but Steve wasn’t complaining. Well, his body wasn’t too happy with his permanent state of arousal, but he loved the feeling of Danny’s warmth against him, the feel of Danny’s hair against his nose, Danny’s body as Steve wrapped an arm around him, pulling him close.

That first morning, Danny had awakened and spent a good five minutes ranting and pacing, arms waving about, before Steve grabbed him and pushed him back on the bed, tickling Danny until the shorter man gave up and laughingly pushed him away.

The following nights, Danny just rolled his eyes and climbed into bed, his fingers intertwining with Steve’s the moment Steve’s arms slid around his waist.

They took to exercising together in the mornings, alternating who’d go first, the second person always pushing to complete at least one more rep than his predecessor. They took turns in the shower, the first one out in charge of setting up the breakfast when the arrival bell rang. They prayed, ate, and shared stories, only bringing up lighthearted tales by unspoken agreement. Afterward, they checked the scroll, swapping escape options with Kono, getting dragon progress reports from Chin (Steve), and playing goofy games with JennaKaye (Danny). They signed off when the lunch bell rang, ate, and then researched (Danny) or wandered around, making a general nuisance of himself (Steve) until Danny sighed, put down his book, and focused his attention on Steve. They eventually did another round of exercises, only stopping when the bell rang announcing the evening meal, and they ate, swapping more stories. Afterward, they checked back in with the three camped outside until the room fell dark. Steve pretended not to notice Danny’s random questions whenever he got antsy for the outdoors, and they both walked around trying to ignore their attraction toward each other.

It was all working quite well until Thursday, when Steve awoke to find Danny already three quarters through their exercise circuit.

“Up awfully early,” Steve muttered, running a hand over his jaw, still not used to remaining clean-shaven. Kono had come up with a theory why that kind of thing affected him too, but he’d been distracted by Danny’s horrible singing in the shower at the time and had missed her explanation.

Danny grunted, moving on to the next exercise.

Steve watched Danny, noting the man’s set expression. “Feeling okay?”

“Yep,” Danny said, sweat running down his face.

Steve remained silent as Danny pushed himself harder than Steve had ever seen him, until he finished the circuit, staggering over to the bed and falling across it.

Normally, Steve would get up and start his own exercises, but he was too focused on Danny.

After a few seconds, Danny groaned, rising and grabbing the water out of the cupboard. He drained it twice before walking toward Steve, wiping the sweat off his brow and off his hands against his shirt. “Ready?”

Steve threw him a questioning look.

Danny sighed, sweeping his arm in a gesture for Steve to rise and move forward. “You go first today. I’ll go second.”

“But you just –“

“I have extra energy,” Danny said.

Not about to let him get away with the lame excuse, Steve continued to sit on the bed, staring at the other man until Danny sighed and dropped down beside him.

“It’s Thursday,” Danny explained.

When it was clear he wasn’t going to add more, Steve said, “Umm, congratulations?”

“Grace comes on Fridays.” Danny sighed. “Sometimes.”

“How long before you know?”

“Know what?”

“Danny,” Steve said, exasperated.

“I honestly can’t figure out what you’re trying to ask,” Danny said.

“How long before you know if she’s going to be here?”

“Perhaps you’ve forgotten my little story, Steven,” Danny said, his voice filled with longsuffering patience, “but the only contact I’m allowed is every weekend when Grace is allowed to visit me –”

“ – barring any official functions, within reason.” Steve said along with him. “But say there’s an official function on Friday. Does that mean she isn’t allowed to come for the entire weekend?”

“Sometimes she’ll pop in on Saturday or Sunday for an hour or so before she has to go back,” Danny said, sighing. “It depends on the weekend.”

“So, you what? Just have to wait it out?”

Danny’s eyes moved around the room. “You got it one.”

“That’s bullshit!”

“That’s my life,” Danny said quietly. “I try not to think about it too much.”

Steve wanted to tell him that it obviously wasn’t working that well, but the pain radiating from Danny’s eyes struck his heart. Instead of dwelling on what he couldn’t change – for the moment - he smacked Danny on the leg. “How’m I supposed to start my workout with you in my way?”

Steve spent the rest of the day trying to keep Danny occupied, regaling him of stories about growing up as a prince with Chin beside him, the demands they tried to duck so they could catch just one more wave, the accidental damages they incurred trying some of the adventures they’d read about in books. And all the time they both ignored the way Danny’s hands fidgeted and his leg bobbed when he sat for longer than five minutes, the fact that he ate nothing more than a few pieces of fruit all day.

By the time the tower grew dark, Steve was exhausted. Unfortunately, he couldn’t sleep and could tell that Danny’s heart never slowed down to signal his relaxing into sleep either. Closing his eyes, Steve prayed that Grace came the next day; he didn’t want to see what happened if she never appeared. And while his heart ached to see Danny so lost, he was still glad he was there – the thought of Danny having to go through this alone was almost incomprehensible. His last thought before finally submitting to sleep was that he needed to have Kono and Chin do some digging into custody laws in Danny’s land.

 

On Fridays, Danny didn’t wake so much as open his eyes. This time he realized that he’d managed to doze a little, obviously due to the man whose arm was currently wrapped around his waist, whose warm breath puffed against the back of his neck. Danny closed his eyes again for a moment, just absorbing the feeling of having someone so close. He hadn’t had that since Rachel. As tough as it had been losing Rachel, what had been the toughest to adapt to was the lack of that physical presence, the warm body in the bed beside him, the constant intimate touch of someone who cared. Steve had respected his wishes and hadn’t pushed the physical, but now Danny realized that he’d made a rookie detective mistake: he’d been so busy looking at the obvious clues that he’d missed the smaller, quieter ones in the background. They hadn’t so much as kissed since their pro/con conversation, but they’d gotten to know each other so much better, sharing stories and experiences, lowering their defenses and exposing their vulnerabilities. 

And damnit, Steve was right behind him, morning wood pressing against his butt cheeks, and Danny wanted nothing more than to grind back, just a little.

Then that little whisper wound its way through his mind, the one that appeared at the end of every week, the song from his heart containing only one word, “Grace”.


	10. Chapter 10

For the second day, Steve awoke alone in bed. Barely registering how quickly he’d grown accustomed to sharing it with Danny, he looked around the room, frowning when he didn’t see the man. He peered into the bathroom, confused when he found it empty. It wasn’t as though the place was big enough for Danny to hide… Steve’s eyes trailed over to the open doorway leading to the staircase.

Throwing on his pants and Danny’s sweatshirt, he padded down the stairs to find Danny pacing in front of the door. “Hey.”

Barely pausing, Danny’s eyes snapped up to Steve before returning to the wall. “Hey.”

“Does she usually come this early?”

Danny lifted a shoulder.

“How about we get some breakfast? The bell rang as I was getting up.”

“Not really hungry, but help yourself.”

Steve stood there, watching Danny pace, every so often lifting his hand toward his face before stopping himself and lowering it. After a few minutes, Steve sat on the stairs, arms around his knees, hands loosely clasped. Eventually, Danny stopped pacing and gave him a look. “What?”

“You don’t have to stay down here with me,” Danny said quietly.

Shrugging, Steve said, “I don’t have anything pressing,” eliciting a small smile from the pacing man.

A shrieking sound from the room upstairs had Steve padding back up to see what news the team had for them.

“Good morning, Chin here.”

“Hey, Chin. Steve. Any sign of Grace?”

“No. When’s she supposed to arrive?”

“Not even sure if she’s going to. Can you ask Kono to check?”

“Stand by.” A few minutes later, after he’d taken the scroll downstairs to keep Danno company, he received the message, “Kono’s having a tough time tracking down Kamekona. This might take a while.”

He carved back, “Do your best. Danny’s in a bad way.”

About an hour’s worth of Danny’s pacing later, Steve felt the vibration in his pocket. “Grace has a mandatory function this weekend.” Momentarily closing his eyes, Steve wished he had better news. He opened them to find Danny staring at him, biting his fingernails.

“What’d it say?” Danny’s voice, while hushed, still echoed around the stairwell.

“She’s not coming.”

Danny nodded, his mouth working furiously at his fingers.

Unable to bear it any longer, Steve walked over to Danny, gently pulling his hand away from his mouth. “Let’s go back upstairs.”

He let Danny precede him and watched from the doorway as the man bypassed the bed and sat at his desk, running his hand through his hair.

“Danny –”

“Let’s see what we can do about getting you out of here.”

“Danny –”

“Steve,” Danny said, his eyes flicking to him before returning to the book on his desk

Nodding, Steve walked over to the bed, making a mental note to make everyone responsible for Danny’s haunted expression pay.

The rest of the day was spent quietly, the only sound in the room turning pages and the thump of a book as it was set aside. Steve was about ready to jury rig an explosion to get them out of there when the room went dark.

Danny flicked on the lamp, his parts of his face hidden in shadow. “Steve –” He just sat there, exhaustion evident in the slump of his shoulders.

Tossing his own book onto the floor, Steve held out his hand. “Just come to bed, Danno.”

Without another word, Danny pushed back his chair, taking off his tie and lying down in the bed without changing into his sleep clothes.

Thankful he’d pulled off the cargo pants earlier, Steve just pulled Danny closer, wrapping his arms around him as if he could keep Danno from falling into pieces.

 

Danny awoke to a jerk to his waist and opened his eyes to find Steve crouched over him, undoing his pants. “Wha -”

Steve paused, staring at Danny for a minute before sighing. “Look, I know this isn’t a good idea, but yesterday…” he looked away for a moment, his eyes returning to Danny’s with a firm resolve. “I just want to take your mind off it, just for a little while.”

Danny frowned, trying to understand what was happening, but he quickly got the idea as Steve finished unfastening his pants, shoving his hand inside to wrap around Danny. And then Danny’s eyes fell closed as for the first time in over ten years, he felt calloused hand of someone other than his own jacking him off, and it felt so damn good, the pull and twist.

“You like this?” Steve whispered in the silence.

Danny opened his eyes long enough to toss Steve a what-the-fuck-do-you-think? glare, getting a chuckle in return.

“Lift up,” Steve said, and Danny lifted his hips so Steve could peel off his pants and shorts. “That’s much better.”

Through slits, Danny watched Steve lick his lips, staring at Danny. Suddenly looking a little indecisive, Steve’s eyes caught Danny’s. “I don’t want to force you…”

Groaning, because seriously he’s going to ask that now?, Danny gestured toward himself in all his aroused glory. “Babe, does this look like I’m being forced?”

“But the list – ”

“Screw the list.” Danny’d realized that he was already in over his head, so why not enjoy some of the benefits? He was already going to hurt beyond belief when Steve left, but this way, at least he’d have some memories to hold close. He offered a smile, relaxing when he got one in return. “But I’m thinking that you have on way too many clothes.”

He was amazed at how quickly Steve could get naked when properly motivated.

 

After spending all day Saturday in bed – they’d taken the time to let the others know that they were going to be unavailable for a while – Steve awoke Sunday morning, pressed against Danny’s naked body, smiling as he felt the soreness in his backside. It had been a while for Steve, even longer for Danny, and they’d made up for it many times over. . However, they’d done so much more than have sex; Danny had sealed a place in Steve’s heart, and Steve was determined to find a way to keep him close.

Danny inhaled deeply, and Steve loosened his grip, pressing a kiss against Danny’s shoulder.

“Mornin’,” Danny rasped.

“Morning, Danno,” Steve said quietly, waiting to see if Danny’s reservations were going to return.

“I know we should get straight to exercising after taking yesterday off, but I feel disgusting, and I need a shower before I do anything else.” He sat up, peeling himself from Steve, looking down at the bed. “We should’ve showered last night.”

“But then we would’ve gotten all dirty again,” Steve reminded him, raising and lowering his eyebrows.

Danny smiled, running a finger down Steve’s cheek. Quickly turning his head, Steve took Danny’s finger in his mouth, sucking and wrapping his tongue around it, watching Danny’s rapt expression, the sound of Danny’s uneven breathing in the air.

Clearing his throat, Danny pulled at his finger. “It’s a small shower, but we could conserve water by sharing.”

It took them over an hour to finally emerge clean.

“So much for conservation,” Danny muttered, staring at the single towel.

Steve shot him a smug smile – having Danny on his knees sucking him off while the water pelted his back was a memory he was going to keep with him forever. “You take the towel.” He grabbed his cargo pants and pulled out a small rolled cloth. He shook it out, revealing that it was about the same size at Danny’s towel, but Steve’s cloth was made out of superabsorbent material.

“One of these days I’m gonna steal those things and inventory all the pockets,” Danny threatened.

“I don’t mind as long as I’m in them,” Steve responded with a grin, almost laughing when Danny rolled his eyes.

They finished dressing – for Steve that had ended up being just his cargo pants – and Danny headed for the cupboard while Steve took out the scroll.

The scroll vibrated, and a second later, “Grace appeared.”

“Appeared? What does that mean?” Danny asked.

Steve shrugged. Hell if he knew.

They heard a loud scraping sound, and Steve watched Danny’s face brighten so much he could hardly stand to look at it.

“Gracie!” Danny grabbed Steve’s hand and pulled him off the bed. “Hurry!”

Steve grabbed his equipment, boots, and Danny’s sweatshirt before heading to the doorway opening into the stairwell. He ran into Danny, who had stopped abruptly. “What?”

Sidestepping him, Danny waved him on. “Go! I’ll be right behind you.”

Steve took him at his word and ran barefoot down the stairs, arriving just in time to see the door open fully, a smiling Grace standing in front of Kono, Chin, and JennaKaye.

“Come on,” Chin said, gesturing for Steve to leave the building.

Steve hesitated, looking up the stairs for a sign of Danny.

“Hurry!” JennaKaye said.

“Where’s Danno?” Grace asked, peering up the stairs.

And that was when Steve realized that he never again wanted to be without Danny. If that meant that they lost their chance to leave, then so be it. It was too late. The damage had been done. Somehow, in a little more than a week, he’d fallen for a short, blond, loud-mouthed, obnoxious commoner – who was a man. Yeah, his parents were going to love this.

“Danno!” Grace shouted.

“I’m coming, Monkey!” Danno shouted back, flying down the stairs, three huge books in his hands. He stopped in surprise when he saw Steve. “Why’re you still here?”

“I’m not leaving without you,” Steve said simply.

Danny got a soft look on his face before grinning and shoving him toward the door with his shoulder. “Get out there, you goof, before the door closes on us.”

They stepped outside, the door sealing closed behind them, the tower disappearing.


	11. Chapter 11

“Wow,” Grace said. “It’s gone.”

Danny stood there for a moment, arms full of books, looking more lost and uncertain than Steve had ever seen him. Dropping his stuff, Steve pulled the books from Danny’s hands, shrugging, and explaining, “So you can give Grace a proper hello.”

Danny’s eyes brightened, and he dropped to his knees. “What are you doing here, Monkey?” He asked, giving her a big hug.

“Kamekono told me to come, said you needed my help.”

Danny looked up at the cloudless sky, silent for a moment, before saying, “I’m guessing that it’s about mid morning. Don’t you have lessons?”

Grace grinned. “I had to use the bathroom.”

“That’s my girl,” he said, hugging her again. He turned to face Steve. “Monkey, I’d like to introduce you to –”

“Prince Steven McGarrett of Hawaii,” Grace finished for him. “I remember.” She courtsied. “I’m Princess Grace of Jersey.”

“I think I’m supposed to be the one to introduce you,” Danny said.

Grace placed a hand on Danny’s cheek. “Mommy and the tutors explained it all to me, and it’s okay. I have lots of rules I have to follow, but you don’t, because you’re not a prince or a king. So I can introduce myself.”

Danny didn’t look very happy about that, but for the first time, Steve saw him hold himself back and refrain from commenting. Steve didn’t like the idea of Danny feeling substandard, but there was nothing he could do about it at the moment.

“Your highness, Princess Grace, let me introduce you to my team, Chin, my master-at-arms, Kono, my mage, and JennaKaye, mage-in-training.”

Grace curtsied again, fluttering her eyelashes a bit. “It’s a pleasure to officially meet the people who helped free my Danno.” She turned to Steve. “It took a little time for Kamekona to work his magic, so I’ve been here for a little while.”

Danny, still on his knees, turned Grace back to him. “Gracie, my getting out of here doesn’t mean we won’t still get to see each other –”

“Kamekona explained it to me. I’ll just go wherever you are, so mom told me to tell you that you better not be in harm’s way when I arrive.”

Danny rolled his eyes. “Of course she did.”

Grace turned back to Steve and looked him up and down. “Why’d you save Danno? I heard mommy talking to grandfather, and he said that the only reason someone would go through the trouble of rescuing someone from an invisible tower is because they wanted something.”

“Grace!” Danny chastised.

“We need help blowing up a dragon.” Steve explained.

“Slaying,” Danny, Chin, and Kono corrected, causing Grace to smile.

“Cool,” she said, turning to her dad. She gave Danny a hug, whispered something to him, and she stepped back, snapped her fingers, and disappeared.

Danny remained on his knees, staring at the space that Grace had inhabited, and Steve used the time to shove the books at JennaKaye while Chin and Kono picked up the stuff he’d dropped. “Really good work, guys.” Figuring he’d given Danny enough time, he hauled his friend off the ground. “Even though it’s probably not necessary, I guess I should take care of the formalities. Danny, meet Chin, Kono, and JennaKaye.”

“Finally! Faces to the snarky comments,” Danny said with a smile, shaking each person’s hand. “I don’t know how you did it, but thank you.”

“We’ll explain it all to you, brah,” Chin said, clapping him on the shoulder.

Steve saw the brief flare of uncertainty in Danny’s eyes as the man looked at Steve’s three compatriots, but he was impressed at how Danny’s smile and demeanor never changed, the others unaware of how strange it must feel to Danny. A little over a week ago, he was resigned to living out the rest of his life in a tower and had only spoken to his daughter for ten years. Now he was free and chatting with four adults. Danny seemed to be handling it better than Steve thought he himself would have.

“So, what’s the plan, Boss?” Kono asked.

“Boss,” Danny mouthed at him, smirking.

Steve ignored him. “It’s early enough that we could make some good time. We’ll head for Ambrosia.”

“Ambrosia?” Danny asked.

“It’s the closest town now that the dragon burned down the other two.”

Steve saw another look pass Danny’s face. Guilt. He knew Danny was going over his earlier words about not caring about the dragon’s victims, but he also knew that it was impossible for Danny not to care. That just wasn’t who Danny was.

“How much time do you need to get packed up?” He asked Chin.

“Only about ten minutes,” Chin grinned at Steve’s obvious surprise. “We had faith that the plan would work.”

“Yeah, Boss, you gotta have faith,” Kono added cheerfully.

“The horse is already cinched up to the wagon,” JennaKaye added.

Horse… Steve suddenly realized he didn’t have one for Danny. He’d figured he would find his damsel and let her ride with JennaKaye. He’d pictured a fair, long-haired, delicate creature who would stay at home while he ran around the country with Chin on their adventures. Instead he’d ended up with a man who’d never met a minute of silence while he was conscious.

That was when he realized he hadn’t heard that mouth in a few minutes. He looked around and found Danny standing in the middle of the field, his back to them, hands in his pockets, face tilted up toward the sun. “Finish packing up, and we’ll leave in ten,” he told them absently, his focus on Danny.

Taking his time, he walked up and said quietly, “Everything okay?” He walked around Danny and found the man’s eyes closed.

“Yeah,” Danny said, more of a sigh than a word. He opened his eyes, looked around. “So this is where I’ve been living for the past ten years.” He paused. “It’s beautiful.”

Steve remained quiet, sensing that Danny was working some stuff out. He just wanted to be there in case he was needed. That, and he couldn’t seem to not want to be with Danny. It was as simple as that.

Danny looked down. “The grass is cooler than I imagined, being out here in the sun.” He wiggled his toes. “It’s soft, though.” Kneeling, he ran his fingers through the blades. “None of the books I read could really do this justice,” He dug deeper, filling his hand with dirt, rubbing it between his hands. “I’ve missed dirt.” He laughed a little, his voice catching at the end, and he kept his face focused on the ground.

“Danno,” Steve said, crouching beside him. “I know this must be overwhelming for you. I don’t claim to know what you’re going through, but I’m here if you need to talk – or not, although I’m gonna get worried if you suddenly go silent.”

Danny chuckled. “The only time I’ve ever been struck silent was when a certain obnoxious prince climbed through a window that hadn’t even existed until then.”

“You mean I wasn’t the only one who came through a window?” Steve faked surprise. “Obviously, you’re not talking about me, because I’m not obnoxious. And I don’t recall a moment of your being silent.”

Danny stood. “I’ll admit that was a blink-and-you-missed-it moment, but it was there.”

“I have a confession to make,” Steve said as they walked to the camp. “I’d been expecting a damsel, someone who would ride in the wagon with JennaKaye, so I don’t have an extra horse.” He saw Danny’s mulish look and added quickly, “however, if you don’t mind, you could ride with me on Goliath. He’s sturdy enough so he can hold us both without problem. And we’re not going to push that hard today.”

“That works for me,” Danny said.

Steve noticed that Danny was much more subdued than he’d been in the tower, and he figured it had more to do with being taken out of his comfort zone than anything else. He made a mental note to ask the others to help him keep an eye on Danny to let him know if they noticed his getting overwhelmed. Steve had known they would rescue Danny eventually; he just hadn’t realized that he would fall for the man or feel so protective of him. He looked around at the world with eyes that suddenly saw dangers for those unaware, and he wondered Danny felt as protective with Grace. If so, heaven help them both.


	12. Chapter 12

Danny‘d never really entertained the thought that he would leave the tower alive. That kind of hope led to the downward spiral. Even after Steve climbed his way into Danny’s life, filled with energy and optimism, Danny didn’t believe. He appreciated the effort Steve and his friends had been going through, but he’d looked at it all like he was watching a play whose ending he already knew. So he wasn’t mentally prepared for where he was now, petting a horse, the sun warming his scalp, the ground teasing his feet with a variety of textures. He felt off balance and realized how much he’d come to rely on the familiar. He’d never had to make any big decisions in the tower – what to eat, what to wear, what to read, when to sleep. It’d all been decided for him. Now he was faced with simple choices – pet the horse or walk over and talk to someone? – and just the idea of it sent his heart racing. What kind of coward had he become?

“We’re ready, boss,” Chin said, mounting his horse, throwing a questioning glance Danny’s way.

“Danny’s riding with me,” Steve said, mounting easily and holding out a hand, pulling Danny up to sit behind him. Danny perched his hands awkwardly on Steve’s shoulders, and Steve took his hands. “Wrap them around my waist so you can hold on better.”

Danny found himself holding on tightly as they cantered over the clearing.

Steve turned his head. “You okay?”

“Sure,” Danny said, figuring if he said it enough, he’d believe it or it’d eventually become the truth. “What’s with everyone calling you boss?”

Steve snorted. “Kono started it, and I can’t tell if Chin’s doing it to get into her good graces or to annoy me.”

Danny absently pressed his cheek against Steve’s back and watched how Chin and Kono played, chasing each other on their horses, their eyes locking, smiles suggesting private conversations. “Oh, probably a little of both,” he guessed.

Steve laughed; Danny could feel the rumbling against his hands more than he heard the actual noise. “You’re probably right about that. Let me know if you need a break, okay?”

“Okay,” Danny said. He hadn’t paid any attention when Steve had tried to tell him about the dragon, and he felt guilty for his casual disregard for all of the people who had been incapacitated by it. He still didn’t believe he could help, but not even an hour before, he was even more certain that he was never going to set foot outside of the tower, so what did he know? He figured he’d get there, do some detective work like he had been so good at years ago, and maybe he could help in some way. He owed it to Steve and those people who’d been hurt while he had been ignoring Steve’s appeal for help.

Danny had no idea how long they traveled. He tried to doze lightly, but every change attracted his attention. A flicker of light through the leaves of a tree, the flight of a bird from their arrival, a slight change in terrain… it all kept him transfixed. But that kind of hyper-alertness was exhausting, and he felt drained. His legs had gone numb long ago, and his ass hurt. But he didn’t want to slow them down and figured he would eventually get used to everything again. It would just take time.

Eventually, Steve called a break, and if he hadn’t already had his arms around him, Danny would’ve hugged the man. His hands had felt the play of Steve’s abs as he balanced on the horse, but even that delicious sensation couldn’t keep Danny from falling into a kind of stupor.

He just hoped he didn’t embarrass himself getting off the damn horse.

 

Steve had been enjoying the feel of Danny’s arms wrapped around him. A certain warmth had taken residence in his heart when Danny pressed a cheek against his back. He felt strong, powerful, happy. He figured this was pretty close to heaven, outside with his friends in beautiful weather with a gorgeous view, riding Goliath, the special man in his life holding him. He could’ve stayed like that forever. He pushed them past lunchtime, since the horses seemed good to go, figuring it would get them that much closer to the dragon, who might have awakened now that they had rescued Danny. But eventually Chin got his attention and gave a little head jerk, his eyes traveling to Steve’s passenger, and Steve called a halt at the first acceptable place he found. He had to take Danny’s hands off him as he said quietly, “Danny? Time to rest for a while.” He couldn’t tell if Danny had fallen asleep, and he didn’t want to wake him abruptly.

“What about the other woman? The one with the wagon? I haven’t seen her since we left the field.”

“I don’t know how she does it, but she’ll just show up,” Steve said, dismounting.

“Magic,” Danny said, sighing, and Steve could tell just how exhausted he was. He chastised himself for not thinking to take it easy on Danny’s first day out and not recognizing that Danny could’ve used a break earlier. Sure he had told Danny to speak up if he needed a rest, but Steve should’ve known that Danny wouldn’t do it.

Steve stood by Goliath and watched Danny look at the ground. “I have a feeling that my dismount is going to be less graceful than yours.”

Turning, Steve sent Chin and Kono to collect wood for a fire, and he turned back to Danny, raising his arms. “Let’s go.”

“How about you step aside and let me do this on my own?” Danny suggested, rubbing at his forehead.

Steve kept his arms raised, and Danny finally sighed. “Fine, but don’t blame me if you end up kicked in the head.”

Bring your leg over, and just slide down,” Steve instructed. Danny groaned as he lifted his leg over the saddle. Steve caught him by the thighs, then the waist and lowered him slowly to the ground, feeling Danny’s body rub against his as Danny sank. He knew he could’ve stepped back, but it turned out he was a bit of a masochist. Danny remained still for a moment, forehead resting on Goliath, before turning in Steve’s arms. He ran his hands along Steve’s forearms, his head down.

Finally he looked up, and Steve could see the want in his face. “You’re still wearing my sweatshirt,” he whispered.

“It smells like you,” Steve confessed, thinking about how he pressed it against his nose before putting in on outside the tower. He didn’t regret losing his own shirt when the tower disappeared. He had more in his saddlebags and back at the palace, and he just wanted to enjoy the smell of Danny on him for a little while.

A corner of Danny’s mouth quirked up before dropping again. Steve wanted to trace those lips with his tongue before delving deeper into his mouth, but now was not the time to start something that they couldn’t finish. But while he didn’t grab Danny’s mouth like he wanted, he wasn’t against a little nuzzling, just to remind Danny that what they’d had in the tower still applied out here in the real world. He saw Danny’s mouth open slightly and knew it was only a matter of seconds before –”

“Hey, guys. Where’re Kono and Chin?” JennaKaye appeared beside them, totally clueless.

“Looking for firewood,” Steve ground out. “Why don’t you track them down?”

“Uh, okay,” JennaKaye said, her eyes darting nervously between the two men. “I’ll go do that.”

She left fairly quickly, and Steve, who hadn’t lifted his gaze from Danny’s saw the quick change of emotions pass through the blond’s eyes. Awareness turned into annoyance, which melted into resignation and finally amusement.

They laughed together for a moment, Steve leaning in slightly to press his forehead against Danny’s, happy that Danny pressed back.

“What timing,” Danny muttered.

Steve took that as his clue and regretfully pulled back. “Let me get Goliath settled,” he said, taking the reins.

“Steve.”

Steve turned and cocked a questioning eyebrow.

“Thanks.”

Understanding all of the meanings behind that one word, Steve smiled and said, “I’ll also send a message to the castle. Just relax. The others should be back in a minute.”

 

Danny waited until Steve had grabbed Goliath’s reins and walked him towards what Danny had assumed was the creek before he tried to take a step. His legs almost folded on him, and he pressed his hand against the ground to break his fall. It felt like everything hurt, from the top of his head all the way down to his legs. Maybe his toes had emerged unscathed, he thought, curling them into the ground. Nope, they ached too.

He was still amazed that he was outside. Taking a deep breath, he stood and took another breath, hoping the air would clear out his head and stop his headache.

JennaKaye stepped into the clearing, her arms filled with firewood. She looked a little upset, Danny noted, as she began to arrange the sticks.

Limping over, he said, “Can I help?” He offered her a little smile.

“No thanks,” she said. “You should take it easy.”

“I’ve been taking it easy for ten years,” he said. “I think I remember how to set a fire. Besides, you probably have other important things to do.” She gave him a questioning glance, and he wiggled his fingers at her. “Magic-y things.”

She grinned. “No, not right now, although I could start preparing lunch.”

At that thought, Danny’s stomach grumbled, and he pressed his hand against it, embarrassed.

“A little hungry, there?” She teased.

He had to think a moment to recall the last time he had actually eaten. Shrugging, he said, surprised, “In fact, I haven’t eaten since dinner last night. Go figure. Go make lunch. I’ll take care of the fire.”

She smiled her thanks, and Danny waited until she disappeared behind the wagon before lowering himself gingerly to the ground.

Kono arrived a few minutes later, seating herself beside Danny. “Nice fire.”

“I guess I still got it,” Danny said, throwing her a grin. “Where’s Chin?”

“We caught a couple of rabbits; he’s cleaning them.” She laughed at his expression. “Don’t tell me you’ve never cleaned a rabbit before.”

“I have, but I prefer my food prepared and on a plate, thank you very much,” Danny said, his mouth watering at the thought of meat.

JennaKaye climbed out of the back of her wagon, her arms full, and knelt on the ground beside Kono. “I have corn and potatoes.”

“Perfect,” Kono said, taking the items one at a time and throwing them into the fire.

“Wait!” Danny shouted, watching the flames raise.

“It’s okay,” JennaKaye said. “They’re bespelled so that they’ll cook but not catch fire.”

“Hmm,” Danny said, starting to think that maybe magic didn’t suck as much as he’d thought. It was going to help provide him with his first real hot meal in a decade.

“How does it feel to be out?” Kono asked.

Running a hand through his hair, Danny exhaled. “Everything is so… much. The sky is so blue, the sun so warm, the grass so cool… Just hearing a bird is amazing.” He laughed. “Riding here, the wind against my face was just...” He lifted his hands. “It’s almost like I’m experiencing it all for the first time.”

“Ten years is a long time.” Kono leaned closer to the fire, then looked into the woods. “Chin should’ve finished by now.” She stood just as Chin stepped into the clearing, a rabbit in each hand.

“Looking for me?”

“Wondering what was taking you so long.”

“You could’ve done it yourself,” Chin said mildly.

“Not my job.”

Danny watched the smiles on the two faces and knew that he and Steve hadn’t been the only ones to grow close in the past few days.

“Forget dinner,” Steve said grimly, emerging from the woods with Goliath still saddled. “We have to get home.”

“To your castle?” Danny asked.

Nodding, Steve checked the saddle. “The queen sent a response when I checked in and said that my presence was needed immediately.”

“Any more details?” Chin asked, stepping up to Steve, Kono close beside him.

Steve shook his head.

With a nod, Chin turned to Kono. “Is there any way we can get there faster?”

Kono shook her head. “Unfortunately, I don’t have that kind of power. However, I did figure out a shortcut. If we press, we could arrive tomorrow morning.”

“Let’s do that,” Steve said.

“But –” JennaKaye said, looking at Danny.

Danny shook his head slightly. “I think we can all forego a meal or two to get there quickly.”

Steve pushed them hard, only stopping for a few minutes to water and rest the horses, and they arrived at the castle just as dawn was breaking.


	13. Chapter 13

Danny’s headache had grown by monumental proportions until his head threatened to burst with each hoof step. Along the ride, he’d kept his eyes closed and tried to focus on his breathing until his nausea threatened to overwhelm him. The little bit of water he’d managed on one of their earlier breaks had risen up inside him and pushed itself out, barely giving him a chance to duck behind a tree. He’d ignored the look JennaKaye had given him, thankful that the others hadn’t seemed to notice. On top of that, it felt like the skin had rubbed off his ass and inner thighs, and he tried his best to keep his feet from brushing against the sides of the horse. He knew Steve and Chin were worried that whatever the emergency, they wouldn’t arrive in time, and he knew that he would’ve done the same thing if he’d received the same message from Grace.

He tried to focus as they rode over the bridge and through the gates of the city and he got his first glance at the castle. Steve’s home.

It looked impressive, cutting a mysterious and foreboding silhouette against the dawning light behind it. But Danny’d been there before. Sure not to this specific castle, but he had a feeling that all castles were pretty much the same, complete with long, drafty hallways and rooms devoid of personality but filled with gilded furniture and priceless artwork. He hated castles.

They rode right up to the front entrance, and Steve leapt off the horse, a move made more impressive by the fact that he managed not to unseat Danny as he did it. Danny gave himself a bit of the credit, since he was the one who let go at the crucial time. Of course, Danny had a vested interest, since he was certain there was no way he was going to be able to dismount and stand, and he really didn’t want his introduction to all these people to be his face hitting the ground. Hard.

Steve turned to look at him, and Danny waved him on. “Go,” he said, making a shooing movement with his hands.

Steve smiled at him faintly, worry furrowing his brow, as he ran into the castle, Chin and Kono right behind him.

Rubbing his forehead, Danny pressed against his stomach, willing the nausea to subside at least long enough for him to find someplace private.

“Excuse me,” a man said, holding Goliath’s reins and looking at Danny like he was a bug that had attached himself to the horse and needed to be scraped off.

“I would like nothing more than to leave you to it, but we’ve been riding for a while, and I need a minute.”

JennaKaye appeared, standing beside Danny and the horse. She tilted her head and grinned flashing dimples at the man. “Why don’t we move this somewhere more private?”

Daniel mouthed a “thank you” as JennaKaye winked at him and the man led Goliath around to the stables. He stopped right at the stable entrance and just stared at Danny.

Taking a breath, Danny managed to lean forward enough to slide his leg over the horse, swinging himself so he could slide down its side, holding on to the saddle to try to slow his descent. He wasn’t entirely successful, since his hands were cramping, but he was happy that his legs held him when his feet hit the cobblestones. He ignored the man’s impatient sniff as he continued to grip the saddle with one hand and flex and fist the other hand, trying to ease the pain. He switched hands and tested the strength in his legs, giving them a little more of his weight. He felt them start to shake but pushed off from the horse and staggered until he reached the side of the stable and leaned against it, hands pressed against the rough walls. Closing his eyes against the pain in his head, he finally gave in, throwing up what little was in his stomach, mostly acid and some of the water Steve had shared with him during the ride. He just wanted to curl into a ball, but he didn’t have any place to go. He figured Steve would be too busy with the emergency to worry about him at the moment, and he wasn’t going to be someone who needed his hand held. He’d been a productive member of the world before he’d become sequestered, and he was going to return to that – as soon as his head stopped hurting and he could stand without assistance. He just needed one more minute.

 

Steve was barely aware of Chin and Kono following him as he strode into the castle, eyes searching for his parents. He stopped at one man who looked familiar. “Where can I find the queen and king?”

“In the dining room, your majesty,” the man said, bowing.

Steve nodded, wondering why they’d be in the dining room during an emergency but not letting it stop him from practically running into the room. “I came as soon as I heard,” he said, stopping, confused, when he noticed that they were being served breakfast.

“Welcome home, dear,” his mother said, placing her fork beside her plate. “Are you hungry?”

“I got a message that you had an emergency,” he said, his eyes tracking between his two parents.

“Did you send the boy a message?” His dad asked.

“Of course I did, dear,” the queen said. “It’s bad form to be absent when you have company.”

“It’s also bad form to visit without forewarning,” the king said, dabbing at his mouth with a napkin and standing. He gave his son a pitying look and said, “I’ll leave you to it, then,” before striding out of the room.

Still confused, Steve asked, “Mother?”

“Princess Catherine from Enterprise has come for a visit,” the Queen said, staring at him with intent. “She’s single and of marriageable age. She’s also quite striking and has an impeccable lineage. I have heard that Prince Valiake has been expressing interest, but he’s old and overweight, so I suspect she has come to… investigate her options.”

“You brought me here to meet a woman?” Steve asked, unable to keep the incredulousness out of his voice. “Mother, you realize that I’m in the middle of trying to save lives – ”

“The dragon, I know,” his mother said with a regal wave of her hand. “But it’s asleep until you find your damsel with the key, right? I’ve been kept apprised of your dispatches, so I know that you found some… some man in the tower instead of your future bride. And then, suddenly, out of the blue, we receive a visit from Catherine. She must be the damsel with the key. Why else would she just suddenly appear, now, when someone is needed?”

As much as he wanted to, Steve couldn’t fault her reasoning. Nor could he tell her that this man in the tower had already claimed his heart, this commoner who would never bear her a grandchild. He knew they would have to have that conversation eventually– he wasn’t willing to give up Danny – but the time wasn’t while he still had to slay the dragon.

He thought of Danny and how he had just left the man sitting on his horse outside of a strange castle, and he closed his eyes. “Mother, I have to –”

“You have to go upstairs and make yourself presentable so you can be down here before she arrives for breakfast,” his mother said, her voice calm but brokering no argument.

Steve knew he had no choice. Grinding his teeth, he said, “Mother,” and left the room.

Kono and Chin descended upon him as soon as he took a few steps from the room.

“What’s the emergency?” Chin asked.

“Who do we have to go kill?” Kono asked. The two men looked at her, and she shrugged, smiling sheepishly, “Who do we have to go save?” She asked apologetically.

Steve sighed, running a hand over his face. He looked around at all of the servants and motioned for the two to follow him to his apartments. Closing the door, he gestured them to sit. “Princess Catherine has arrived for a visit.”

Chin lifted his eyebrows. “Without a prior invitation or advanced notice?”

Steve nodded.

“That’s the emergency?” Kono asked. “Really? A princess comes to visit, and you have to rush home?”

“Royalty never just ‘shows up’ at another castle,” Chin explained. “It’s just not done.”

“So then why is she here?” Kono asked.

“Mother believes that it’s fate’s way of telling me that she’s the person who is supposed to help me blow up the dragon.”

“Slay,” Kono and Chin said automatically.

“But what about Danny and the tower?” Kono asked.

“I still think Danny is the key,” Steve said.

“But you can’t be certain of that,” Chin said slowly. “There are lives at stake. What if you’re wrong? What if you ignore this princess, and she really is the key?”

Steve knew he couldn’t risk it. “I guess they both have to come with us.”

Kono stared at him. “You want this princess and Danny to come with us to Ambrosia? Together?”

Steve pinched the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger. “I’ll admit that this isn’t ideal.”

“This is Princess Catherine from Enterprise?” Kono asked. “I thought she was bethrothed to Prince Valiake.”

“No former offer has been made,” Chin told her, “and he’s old and overweight, while Princess Catherine is still young and quite beautiful.”

“So the boss would be more to her fancy,” Kono mused, and Chin nodded.

Steve wanted to shout, “but Danny is my choice!” but he had obligations that needed to be met before he could tackle that whole situation. He needed to focus on the dragon. Everything else would have to wait.

“What about Danny?”

“The prince has his obligations,” Chin said firmly.

Kono stood. “And Danny is just supposed to follow along like a… a doxy, hoping for a glance from the prince whenever the princess is not around?”

“Kono – ” Chin started.

“No disrespect intended, your highness,” Kono said disdainfully, curtsying deeply in a way that really annoyed Steve. “I’ll take my leave so you two can plan your political match.” With that, she flounced out of the office with an aplomb that would’ve been impressive even coming from a princess.

Steve flopped on the sofa next to Chin. “This is a mess.”

“It’s the classic dilemma,” Chin agreed, “heart versus duty.”

Rolling his head to face Chin, he said, “You’re going to have an uphill battle yourself, my friend.”

Sighing, Chin scrubbed his hand over the light stubble over his jaw. “This whole dragon thing keeps getting more and more complicated.”

“It’ll all work out once we blow it up,” Steve said.

“You really believe that?” Chin faced Steve, too occupied by other matters to correct him.

“We can live in hope, Chin. Let us just live in hope.”


	14. Chapter 14

Danny awoke slowly, headache dim, face buried in a really soft blanket. He was confused at first, because he knew that he didn’t have that blanket in his tower. He moved, and the pain in his lower body brought the events of the day back in a rush. Sitting up, he found that his headache still remained but had seemed to move to another part of his brain. He looked around the small room containing the bed where he currently sat, a window, and a dresser of drawers. Dropping his feet to the floor, he was pleasantly surprised to find his toes curling on a carpet just as soft as the blanket he had been gripping.

He heard a knock before JennaKaye stuck her head around the door. “Did I wake you?”

Running a hand through his hair, still surprised at the length, he motioned for her to enter. “No. I woke up a few minutes ago.” He waited until she entered and shut the door behind her. “What happened?”

“You passed out.”

“I don’t remember that,” Danny said.

“Well,” JennaKaye hedged. “You passed out after hitting your head.”

That explained the new location for his headache. “I remember getting off the horse and then throwing up.”

JennaKaye nodded. “Then one of the stable men came up to you and told you that you needed to move on.”

Danny couldn’t pull that up. “Then what happened? Wait – let me guess. I managed to befriend him using my winning ways and witty repartee.”

“If by winning ways you mean letting him know that he had horse dung on his clothing and witty repartee being another way of telling him that he needed to stop sleeping with the pigs, then yes.”

Closing his eyes, Danny said, “I had a headache. I wasn’t at my best.” He looked at JennaKaye. “Thank you for your help.”

He wanted to be that guy who could just walk into a new town and fit right in, the man who could easily get a job and make friends, but he had never really been that man. He would’ve liked to have hopped off that horse like Steve did and shaken the groomsman’s hand, striding away and finding a place to stay while he figured out his life, but instead, evidently, he was the kind of person who almost fell of the horse before staggering to the stable and throwing up and then getting into an argument where he fell and knocked himself unconscious.

“We all need help sometimes,” she said simply.

“Have you heard from Steve, Chin, or Kono?”

JennaKaye shook her head. “Kono’ll contact me when she learns the details of the emergency.” Her eyes flittered away from his as she held out her hand, revealing a small, earthen pot. “Here’s a balm, for your… um… the sore places.”

Unaccustomed to the concern, Danny took the pot and stuttered out a thanks before she grinned and ducked out of the room, calling, “Come on out when you’re finished, and we’ll do something about that hair.”

As he applied the balm, Danny wondered about Steve’s emergency, hoping for Steve’s sake that his mother had not summoned him due to a health crisis. It’d been a long time since he’d been around his mother and father, but he’d been building a family with Rachel, and he knew what it was like to worry about those he loved. He pondered on what he should do while they waited, and while he knew what he wanted to do – he wanted to walk up to the castle and make sure Steve was okay and just see him and maybe touch his shoulder or something – he hadn’t been sequestered for so long that he didn’t know his place in the hierarchy. It was one thing to ride behind Steve and tease him when they were alone; now they were in the real world, where Danny shouldn’t even register on Steve’s radar. A brief sojourn to the privy showed that he had indeed rubbed raw different spots on his legs, and the insides of his heels had bled at some point during the trip, but he’d dealt with worse.

As much as he would’ve liked to just stay in this room with his tail between his legs, he had agreed to help Steve get rid of a dragon, and he couldn’t in good faith let anyone else get hurt if he could help in any way. So he figured that he could put this time to good use and work on figuring out a way to defeat a dragon. He joined JennaKaye in the living room, empty jar in hand. “Thanks,” he said, returning it to her. “By any chance, do you have any contacts in the town library?”

Two hours later – after Jenna had cut and styled his hair the way he’d liked it Before – he was firmly ensconced in the library of a dusty, forgotten corner of the castle, surrounded by piles of books. He’d declined JennaKaye’s offer of a full meal, only accepting an apple that he ate as she took him to introduce him to the royal librarian. He’d noticed that JennaKaye lived a frugal life, and he wasn’t about to eat her rations. Besides, his stomach was still queasy, and it would be a waste to eat only to have everything come back up.

He’d managed to convince the librarian that he was trustworthy enough to read through the formal, delicate documents, even with no shoes, although the old man remained seated at his desk, keeping an eye out just in case. The man had made it a point to explain to them that the door at the entrance had a spell refusing entrance or exit to anyone not of the McGarrett direct line or anyone who was not personally cleared each time by the librarian. Danny made sure the man knew that he had no intention of doing anything but read up on dragons; he even went so far as to tell the man that he was there to help the prince rid the kingdom of the dreaded beast. At that, the man became a little happier; it turned out he was from Ambrosia and was worried about his family.

After making sure that Danny was settled and didn’t need anything, JennaKaye’d promised to return in a few hours to pick him up, and he didn’t know how to convey how much he appreciated her help and her friendship.

Gently taking the first book, he fidgeted in his chair, trying to find a comfortable position. JennaKaye had thoughtfully provided him with a small cushion to sit on, but he was still sore. Opening the book, he tried not to sneeze and hunkered down for some serious research.

H5-0 H5-0 H5-0 H5-0

Steve managed to clean himself up and head back down to the dining room before Princess Catherine and her court. Chin, who wasn’t permitted inside the dining room except by specific invitation by the king or queen, remained right outside the door.

That Princess Catherine was beautiful, there was no doubt. Long dark hair down to her waist and large green eyes framed by long, dark lashes, lips full and bee-kissed, and a bewitching smile revealing perfect, white teeth, a generous bosom that tapered to a small waist and generous hips, she was every man’s dream. She probably would’ve been Steve’s dream too if his weren’t now filled with someone who frustrated him constantly and never stopped talking.

As they sat down to eat, he couldn’t help but compare her to Danny. She laughed, and he would picture Danny ranting about something unimportant, his arms waving in the air dramatically. She blinked flirtatiously at him, and he heard Danny telling him that they were never going to have sex. She engaged him in discussions about the responsibilities of royalty, and he remembered Danny’s story of how he’d been so terribly wronged and how he’d somehow managed to shake his negativity and embrace Steve, both literally and figuratively.

She’d make the perfect princess and, in time, the perfect queen. Unfortunately, she wasn’t Danny, and Danny was the one he wanted.

His mother was unhappy with the way things were going; she was too polished for it to be obvious, but he’d grown up with the woman, knew her signs and tells, recognized her particular smiles. She wanted this princess as her daughter-in-law.

Steve managed to wait until dessert was almost finished before he broached the subject of the dragon.

“I’ve heard of a tale,” the princess said, “but I thought the princess was stuck in a tower and had long, blonde hair.”

Steve wanted to say that he’d never seen anywhere that the legend had specifically mentioned a princess, but he remained silent, knowing he didn’t want to start that conversation.

“That’s one of many interpretations,” the queen said. “But if you could save lives –”

“Of course,” the princess said. “Anything I can do to help.”

“It would require travel to Ambrosia,” Steve warned her, “which is normally a very beautiful village.”

“If a little small and plebian,” his mother added.

Steve acknowledged his mother with a flicker of his eyes in her direction before continuing. “It’s seen difficult times since the dragon arrived, and it’s also had to deal with the influx of villagers from the surrounding towns that have been devastated by the dragon.”

“I’m nothing if not resilient,” the princess proclaimed, touching the napkin to her lips before placing it back on the table. “Do we have to leave now, or do we have time for you to show me some of the surrounding area? We arrived at night, and I feel deprived.”

“I’m sure the prince has time while both his and your people prepare for the journey,” the queen said happily, leaving Steve no choice but to agree.

“I’ll meet you by the stables in half an hour,” he told her, acquiescing.

H5-0 H5-0 H5-0 H5-0

Danny stretched, ignoring the slight ache in his thighs, and gently closed the book in front of him, placing it on the growing pile on his left. He looked at the three books on his right and felt a sense of satisfaction that he’d made some serious headway. He was uncertain that he had learned anything that would be directly helpful in dealing with this particular dragon, but he figured all of the back up information couldn’t hurt. He’d been hoping one of the tomes would’ve spelled it out for him: ‘this is what you need to do when confronted with a dragon who plants itself in your kingdom and just will not leave’, but he wasn’t that lucky.

Fortunately, those years in the tower had equipped him with the ability to focus for long periods of time and shut out all other thought, so he’d made a lot of progress.

He looked around himself and wondered about the time. The librarian sat at his desk, head back, mouth open, and Danny wondered if the older man would feel the crick in his neck when he awoke – Danny knew firsthand that position wasn’t comfortable at all. Just like in his tower, there weren’t windows or anything to indicate the passage of time, and Danny realized that it was the first time since he’d left the tower that he felt relaxed. The thought made him uncomfortable, and he stood, having to use the table for balance when he got a little dizzy.

Figuring he’d been sitting way too long, he waited until he felt better balanced and pushed away from the desk, walking toward the entrance. He opened the door a crack, enjoying the novelty of actually having a door to use, and inhaled some fresh air before focusing enough to realize that a conversation was being held in the small courtyard just outside of the room. The voices weren’t raised, but the courtyard had been designed in such a way that the sound carried quite easily. Absently, Danny wondered who designed a room in a castle in that fashion. One thing he’d learned in his short stay at Rachel’s home was that everyone had more than one secret.

“…way better looking than Valiake,” a woman’s voice said. She had a faint accent and a tone that spoke of royalty.

“He’s old and overweight, your highness, while the prince –”

“The prince,” the woman said, and Danny recognized the softness in her tone. “The prince is handsome and obviously very… active.”

Danny frowned. What did she mean by active? How was it obvious? He figured she was talking about Steve – after all, he was the only prince in the general vicinity, but he couldn’t imagine Steve ignoring an emergency in favor of being… active with some princess. Maybe they had a past, but the woman didn’t sound like she was very familiar with Steve.

“He showed respect to the queen,” the male voice said.

“Yes, he was very respectful to his mother. I liked that. If all goes well during our ride, I think I might just‘ve found my new home. Of course, it’s not Enterprise, but it seems beautiful, and a life with the prince here could be one that would make me happy.”

“But, your highness, this business with the dragon.”

Danny had been about to close the door, the pain in his stomach more acute, when the last comment stopped him.

“As I told the prince when he first broached the subject, I’m willing to help him rescue his subjects from this dragon if I can. Besides, we can use the time during the trip to get to know each other, make sure that we’re compatible. The worst thing I can imagine is to be tied to someone I cannot stand.”

Danny closed the door quietly and leaned against it, closing his eyes. So Steve had asked this woman – he had already deduced that she was a princess – to help him with the dragon. Did that mean that Steve had finally taken all that Danny had said to him to heart and agreed that Danny didn’t have the key to slaying the dragon?

The woman had mentioned going for a ride with Steve. Did that mean that Steve had quickly dispatched whatever emergency quickly enough that he felt he could take a little time to go for a ride with her?

Danny reminded himself that it really was none of his business. Hadn’t he been the one to remind Steve that there was no future for them, that Prince Steve could never end up with someone like him, a man, and even worse, a commoner? Steve must’ve realized, once he was back in his world, that Danny had been right.

And to be fair, this princess sounded like a decent enough woman. Danny could picture her, bright blue eyes and long blonde hair just like the woman Steve had expected to find in Danny’s tower.

He was happy for Steve; he really was. He wouldn’t deny that it had felt like a knife in his chest, but it wasn’t as though he hadn't expected it. He’d find his way back to his people and figure out how to make a living, find a place decent enough for Grace’s visits, and focus on being thankful for having a life of his own again. He wouldn’t have Steve, but then again, he’d never really had him to begin with, had he?

Before he could drive himself nuts, he returned to the table, more focused than ever on his task. He might not be the one who was destined to save the kingdom from the dragon, but maybe he could find something that would help. It was the least he could do for the people who’d rescued him.


	15. Chapter 15

The ride with Princess Catherine – and her entire court – was pleasant. The day was beautiful, warm and sunny with just a hint of breeze. Steve had only planned on taking Chin with him, but Kono appeared, belligerent look on her face that dared him to deny her. Without even a glance at Chin, he walked past Kono and mounted Goliath.

He’d taken her north, past the fields and into the thin woods where he liked to go with Chin when he wanted to commune with nature. He knew that they wouldn’t see any wild animals; there were way too many of them in the party to even make the attempt at stealth. However, the view was beautiful, and he thought she would enjoy it.

As much as he would’ve liked to have denied it, he enjoyed her company. She was an amusing companion, witty and charming, and her personality made her beauty even more radiant. The only problem was that he wasn’t drawn to her, not the way he was drawn to Danny. And while she was entertaining, he didn’t find her challenging. He didn’t feel that he had to stay on his toes with her, and she didn’t make him want to laugh the way Danny did. If Princess Catherine had come into his life earlier, before he had ventured with Chin, Kono, and JennaKaye to the tower, he might have been happy with her. But now that he had experienced Danny, he knew that choosing anyone else would be settling, and he had promised himself long ago that he would never settle.

They didn’t stay out too long; just before he’d left the castle, he’d gotten word that the dragon had awakened. At the time of the message dispatch, it was awakening slowly, but they – and he – were certain that it was only a brief delay. Unfortunately, the time frame was such that he couldn’t be certain which had precipitated it: Danny’s release or the princess’ arrival. As much as he wanted to leave later that day, he agreed that they would all depart early the next morning, giving the princess and her retinue time to gather everything they thought they would need for the journey.

They parted ways at the stairs, and he watched her walk up to the guest apartments until she disappeared from sight before turning to find Kono and Chin waiting for him on the stairs toward his wing. Silently, he led them up to his living room, taking a seat and gesturing them to do likewise.

“So, are we ready to leave in the morning?”

Chin nodded. “All of the equipment has been cleaned, and we’re all repacked.”

“It normally takes about a day, a day and half for us to get there, but we always use the shortcuts; since we’re traveling with the princess and her retinue, we’ll have to use the roads, taking twice as long.”

“Agreed,” Chin said. “We also have to remember that the princess will expect to sleep in an inn, not at a camp site, so we’ll have to end each day close to a town.”

“Right,” Steve said, realizing that this thought hadn’t even occurred to him. “What else?”

“The wagon is prepared, but instead of arriving after us, I’m going to instruct JennaKaye to anticipate our arrival,” Kono said, her voice dripping with professionalism. “It’ll be good practice for her.”

Steve wanted to tease her, to ask her why she would come into the castle now when she refused to do it when they met, but he knew she wasn’t in the mood. “Sounds good.” He took a deep breath. “About Danny.”

“What about Danny?” Kono asked, staring at him. 

“Kono,” Chin said warningly, wincing at the look she shot him before she returned her gaze to Steve.

Steve knew what he wanted. He wanted Danny right here in his apartments with him; that short amount of time he’d spent alone with the man had somehow made him addicted, and he felt the loss acutely. Ever since he had left Danny sitting on Goliath, the man hadn’t been far from his thoughts. However, as prince, he had obligations, and he knew that bringing Danny into the castle at this point was a bad idea. “Where is he?”

“You mean after you left him sitting alone on a horse in a strange town in an unfamiliar kingdom after living in seclusion for ten years?”

Chin stood. “Kono, this is your prince!”

Steve put a hand on Chin’s arm. “It’s okay.”

“No,” Kono said, standing and glaring at Chin. “Chin’s right.” She turned to Steve. “We’ll be ready to leave tomorrow morning. Your Highness.” Somehow Kono managed to infuse her bow with insolence before leaving the room, shutting the door firmly behind her.

“You’re so not getting any of that,” Steve said, sighing. “I’m sorry I’ve messed it up for you.”

Chin shrugged like it didn’t matter, but Steve could see the regret in his eyes. “This is my life, and maybe she’s not meant to be a part of it if she’s not willing to understand that.”

Steve thought she understood it and would be perfectly fine with it all – but she wasn’t willing to put aside her feelings about right and wrong just to pacify her prince. And truth be told, she was right about this. Danny was indeed getting a raw deal, and Steve felt like shit for abandoning him, for not making sure he was being taken care of.

Steve pictured himself alone in a strange town, no money, no friends. The least he could’ve done was made sure that Danny had someone to look after him – at least until he was finished with this dragon thing and could focus on what to do about them.

“I need you to find Danny. Get someone you trust to take care of him, make sure he has everything he needs – money, clothes, everything – until we return.” He wasn’t sure that Danny would even want to talk to him after how he had just treated him, but he couldn’t change the past. What he could do was move forward from here and hope that Danny would forgive him.

“On it, boss,” Chin said, standing up.

Two hours later, after enduring an hour with his mother to detail the events of his outing with the princess, Steve returned to his apartments and poured himself a drink.

He sighed at the knock on the door, hoping fervently that it was Chin. “Enter.”

Chin strolled in, and Steve grinned. “Good, it’s you. Get yourself a drink.”

Chin made no move to the bar, and Steve’s smile fell as he looked at the expression on the man’s face. “What’s wrong?”

“I can’t find Danny,” Chin said simply.

Sitting up quickly and plunking his drink on the table, Steve felt his heart start to pound. “What do you mean?”

“I mean he’s gone,” Chin said.

Steve stood and began to pace, trying to focus on Chin’s words and not on his own guilt and fear. “Tell me what you know.”

“After we left him on Goliath, one of the groomsmen took him and the horse to the stables. According to the man, he was a bit of an ass –” Steve and Chin did take a moment to chuckle about that, “– he had a difficult time getting off the horse, and then he threw up.” Chin stopped.

Steve stopped pacing. “And then what?”

“And that’s it. It’s like he simply disappeared.”

“As in disappeared into the crowd or as in magic disappeared?” Steve asked, getting an idea.

“I’m not sure,” Chin said. “I tried to track down Kono to see if she knew anything about it, but she’s suddenly making herself scarce. I did find JennaKaye at a cottage she and Kono’ve been renting, but she said that he wasn’t there. I got the feeling she knew more than she was saying, but she wasn’t about to tell me.”

“She’ll tell me,” Steve said grimly, hoping that she and Kono were just being stubborn. If that weren’t the case, then Danny could be anywhere, which meant that he could be sick, and with no one he could turn to, he would be alone and sick in a foreign country. And it would be all Steve’s fault.

He and Chin walked to the cottage in less than ten minutes– they’d found that it was easier and quicker to maneuver within the castle’s walls on foot rather than by horseback – and knocked for another minute before JennaKaye came walking up to the house.

“Chin, your highness,” she said, curtsying. She gestured to the cloth bag in her hands. “Sorry, I was gathering herbs and other items for our journey tomorrow.” She smiled at Chin after he took the bag from her so she could open the door. “Please come in and have a seat. I’ll be right back.” She placed the bag on the top of the table in the back of the room and returned with three mugs in her hands. She moved past them and headed to the fireplace where she bent over the kettle on the fire in the hearth. Pouring liquid into the mugs, she gave one to each of the men and sat beside Chin.

“Thank you,” Steve said automatically, looking suspiciously into the mug.

“It’s tea,” JennaKaye said, sipping at her mug.

Chin looked down at his, sniffed at it a second, then took a sip. He made his this-isn’t-so-bad face and took another sip.

Steve took a tentative sip of his own, realizing it was just chamomile tea along with something a little sweet.

He must’ve made a face, because JennaKaye smiled. “My parents are marchands de thé, have their own shop, the result being that I can make a wicked cup of tea.”

“We’re here about Danny.”

JennaKaye’s smile faded, and she adopted a carefully blank look.

“I know I was wrong leaving him in front of the castle to fend for himself; I have no excuse for that,” Steve admitted, “but I’m worried about him. I heard that he got sick at the stables.”

“It makes sense, since he hadn’t eaten since dinner the day before and had only had a few gulps of water – that he threw up – while riding on the back of a horse all day,” JennaKaye said quietly, taking another sip of her tea.

“No, we had breakfast,” Steve said, thinking back, and running through that morning in his mind. “Danny and I woke up late and then showered.” Steve tried not to flush when he recalled why they’d awakened late. 

“Do you remember Danny ever eating?” Chin asked.

“Actually no. It just got frantic there, what with our escaping from the tower and everything.”

“And then we skipped lunch and dinner, because we got the emergency message from the queen,” Chin added.

“And he was unconscious for breakfast this morning,” JennaKaye said, before gasping and slapping a hand over her mouth.

“What do you mean unconscious?” Steve nearly shouted, his nervousness turning into fear. “What’s wrong with him?”

Chin stepped in front of Steve, making Steve realize that he was towering over the young mage. “Your Highness,” he said quietly, reminding Steve of his place.

Taking a deep breath, Steve took a few steps back. “I’m sorry, JennaKaye. I’m worried about Danny, and I need to know that he’s okay. Where is he?”

“How about I just tell you that he’s safe,” JennaKaye said, smiling nervously. “Isn’t that good enough?”

“I need to see him,” Steve said, knowing that was the only way he could calm down.

“I’m not supposed to… Kono said…” JennaKaye said faintly.

“Steve is your prince,” Chin reminded her.

Sitting beside JennaKaye, Steve said softly, “I need to see for myself that he’s okay.”

“He’s fine,” Kono said from the doorway. “Thanks for your concern.”

Swearing inwardly, Steve turned to Kono. “Am I going to have to give you a direct order?”

Kono shrugged one shoulder. “You could, but as a mage, I don’t have to explicitly follow your orders when an innocent citizen of another kingdom is involved. Danny’s done nothing wrong, and he’s not a Hawaiian citizen.”

Chin stepped forward. “Kono, you know Steve cares for Danny.”

“Do I?” Kono walked into the room, arms folded. “Let’s see. He knows that Danny’s been stuck in a tower for ten years, so what does he do? He puts him on a horse all day. Now I understand that we had to get back here as soon as possible, because of the distress message, but Danny’d had nothing to eat since the night before –”

“I didn’t realize that until a few minutes ago,” Steve protested, “and we shared my water pouch during the ride.”

Kono didn’t stop talking, “– and was nursing a headache.”

“What headache?” Steve asked.

“He was rubbing his head pretty constantly there toward the end, even when we let the horses rest,” Chin mused.

“How would I know that? He was behind me!” Steve argued. “Why didn’t someone tell me?”

“And I think he threw up on at least one of our breaks,” JennaKaye added.

“After ten years, I’m sure he felt a bit overwhelmed,” Chin said.

Steve shot him his best you-are-such-a-traitor glare.

“But you had a lot on your mind,” Chin added.

It didn’t really help. Steve wanted to remain angry at Chin and Kono and JennaKaye, but he had to be honest with himself. Steve was the one who didn’t pay attention to the signs that Danny was in pain, who left Danny to fend for himself. He fell back against the sofa. “Just tell me that he’s okay.” That was all he wanted, he told himself, but he could only lie to himself for a moment. He wanted so much more. He wanted Danny in his arms, in his bed, in his life. But Danny’d been right. He was a prince, and that role carried responsibilities and obligations that he couldn’t put aside for his own wants.

Kono dropped on the other side of Steve and said, “He’s fine.”

Steve wanted to see for himself that Danny was okay, needed to press their foreheads together, wanted to feel Danny’s body warmth, but he realized that he’d lost that right when he’d run into the castle and left Danny alone on Goliath without making sure he had someone to watch out for him. “Are you taking care of him?”

“As much as he’s letting us,” JennaKaye muttered.

“What does that mean?” Steve knew how hardheaded Danny could be for no apparent reason. JennaKaye was no match for him, and Kono’d probably end up knocking him back unconscious.

“He’s okay,” Kono insisted, glaring at JennaKaye, who looked apologetic.

“Your Highness, we need to return to the castle. It’s almost dinner time, and the queen and king will expect you there, especially since the princess is visiting,” Chin said.

Steve stood and followed Chin to the door. Before he left, he turned to the two women, still seated on the sofa. “If he gets too hard headed, don’t be afraid to use Grace as leverage. He’ll do anything for her.”

H5-0 H5-0 H5-0 H5-0

A sudden jolt woke Danny, where he found himself lying face first on a hard bed. He started to roll onto his back and found himself falling with a thump onto the floor. Which was rocking. Why was it rocking?

He sat up, catching himself when the black spots appeared, trying to remain as still as possible until he was able to see clearly. He retraced his path through his memory, trying to figure out how he ended up rocking in the back of… he looked around… the only wagon he knew was JennaKaye’s. He thought back: he was at the library at the castle, going over the books, and then he was waking up here. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t remember anything between the two points in time. He was getting awfully tired of waking up in random beds. He saw his books from the tower and the notes he’d written in the library piled in a crate out of the way and was thankful for JennaKaye’s thoughtfulness.

Absently pressing his hand against his rumbling stomach, he made his way to the front of the wagon and threw open the flap, finding JennaKaye controlling the horses.

“Good afternoon, sleepyhead,” she said, smiling. “Come on up and have a seat. Keep me company.”

He climbed up and sat down. Looking around as the countryside sped past, he almost bent over and threw up.

“Just focus on the horse, and you’ll regain your equilibrium.”

He stared at the horse pulling the wagon until he regained control over his stomach. “What the hell?”

“We’re moving so fast that the view looks blurry,” JennaKaye explained.

“That explains a lot,” Danny said.

JennaKaye tossed an apple to him. “Eat. I’m sick of hearing your stomach.”

The rumbles had merged into pains, so Danny took a bite. He had plenty of questions to ask, the first one being about Steve, but he swallowed it down. He hadn’t seen Steve since the prince had run into the castle and essentially out of Danny’s life, returning to his real life, which evidently consisted of handling emergencies and going on rides with princesses. He reminded himself that he’d known that this was how it was going to be all along. The fact that he was right was a hollow victory. Instead he decided to focus on the present, things that were within his control. “How’d I get here?”

“You fell asleep at the library,” JennaKaye explained. “so Kono and I let you sleep there overnight and threw you in here as we left town.”

“You threw me in here?” Danny asked. “Like a bag of potatoes?”

“Oh, no!” JennaKaye exclaimed. “Potatoes bruise easily.” She threw him a cheeky grin.

“Such love,” Danny griped, finishing up his apple. “Can I throw this, or will it come back and smack me in the eye?”

“Just put your arm along the side and let go, and you’ll be fine,” she advised.

Danny did so and turned around to find her handing him a sandwich. “Eat. It’s really good.”

He made a show of looking under and around the bench before taking the sandwich. “Do you have some sort of kitchen hiding around here somewhere?”

“Magic,” she said, raising a shoulder.

“Magic,” Danny grumbled, “I don’t trust it.” He took a bite and said, distracted, “this is really good.” He seemed to inhale the sandwich and felt much better. “Thank you. For everything.”

“You’re welcome,” JennaKaye said.

“Now that we have the pleasantries out of the way, maybe you could tell me where we’re going.”

“We’re going after the dragon.”

“Finally! How long is it going to take us to get there?”

JennaKaye frowned and was silent for a moment. It looked suspiciously like she was forming her response carefully before she said, “It’ll take about three days.”

Too much work for such a simple answer, he thought, but then he didn’t know how much magic she was having to utilize to get them to travel this fast. “Is my talking to you interfering with your doing… this?” He waved his arm vaguely toward the blurry view.

“No,” she said, “it’s actually a pretty simple spell. The tough part is accurately anticipating the location of their arrival. I have to account for distractions along the way.”

“Like a puppy in a tree or a broken wagon on the side of the road?” Danny asked.

“Something like that,” JennaKaye said, and Danny got that feeling again, like there was something she was being careful not to tell him.

Normally he’d be all over it, using whatever charm he possessed along with the skills he had refined as a detective to get the information he wanted, but he didn’t know her well, and he owed her for taking care of him. He figured he would find it out eventually. Besides, it looked like a beautiful day, and he was away from the crowds in the town, which he had found a little daunting. Perhaps if he’d been prepared for it, he wouldn’t have felt such a sudden rush of panic, but it’d taken all of his energy to focus on JennaKaye as they had returned to the castle so he could spend his time at the library, studying up on dragons and trying to keep his mind off Steve.

“Did you learn anything that can help us with the dragon?” JennaKaye asked, returning his mind to the present.

“I’m not sure. It depends on the dragon,” he said. “Wait. Are we slowing down?”

“We are,” JennaKaye confirmed, eyebrows furrowed. “I’m going to need to concentrate for a bit.”

“I’ll leave you to it, then. Just let me know what I can do to help,” Danny said, retreating to the back of the wagon, deciding to focus on what he’d learned from the tomes at the library and trying to keep his mind off of a certain dark haired prince. He wondered absently if reading in a moving wagon would make him throw up again.


	16. Chapter 16

Steve had only traveled with his mother once, when he was very young, so he’d forgotten all of the baggage a female royal took with her when she ventured out from her home. All of those memories returned the next morning when he and Chin walked to the stables and found two covered wagons, twelve armed guards on horseback, a carriage for the princess and her ladies in waiting, another carriage for the other members of the party who didn’t rank high enough to sit with the princess, and three horses tied to the last covered wagon.

“Really?” Steve asked Chin as they stared in disbelief at the large party. “It’s not that far.”

“She’s a princess, so she needs to have her comforts,” Chin told him.

“I know, but – really?” Steve repeated. “Two covered wagons? I told her that she’d be staying in inns along the way, so it’s not even as though she needs camping gear. And what’s with all the people? I can understand the armed guards, although I think twelve is excessive, but two carriages worth of people? What do all of them do?”

“I have no idea,” Chin said, “but I’m glad we built in additional time to arrive in Ambrosia. It’s going to take hours every morning to get this caravan ready to go.”

Kono trotted up on her horse, Goliath and Chin’s horse trailing behind her. “Everyone seems to be ready,” she said evenly.

Steve wanted to ask about Danny, but the look in her eyes had him changing his mind. He wasn’t afraid to admit it, deep down inside, that he found angry Kono a little scary. Instead he thanked her for Goliath, grabbed his reins, and headed over to the princess’ carriage to confirm that she was comfortable and ready to begin the journey.

She looked just as fresh and beautiful as she had when they’d met earlier that morning at breakfast, and she smiled as he got closer. “It’s a perfect day for an outing,” she said.

“The journey should be nice this time of year. It won’t become dangerous until after we reach Ambrosia,” he reminded her. “We have a dragon to blow up –” he paused so she could correct him until he remembered that she wasn’t in on that joke, so he continued, “and the towns closest to it are on hard times.”

“So we won’t arrive today?”

“It will take at least three days,” he confirmed, squelching the urge to remind her that they’d discussed it earlier over breakfast.

“Perhaps later on, I’ll have them saddle my horse, and I’ll ride with you.”

“It would be my pleasure,” Steve said truthfully. He did enjoy talking to her, and while she didn’t keep Danny from his mind, she did a good job of pushing him to the back so he could focus matters right in front of him.

Three hours later, they’d stopped four times, twice for potty breaks for various members of the queen’s retinue; once because some of the ladies in waiting claimed that they’d seen an injured deer, and they made everyone go look – everyone except for Kono, who’d stopped but who’d also pretended not to hear them ask for her assistance; and once because the princess had decided she was ready to ride her horse, and he’d had to be saddled and decorated before she was placed gently sidesaddle on his back.

Crowds lined the streets as they rode into their first town, and Steve found himself uncomfortable at the attention. The princess, however, took it all in stride, waving and smiling regally as they made their way to the nicest inn.

Helping her off the horse, Steve bowed and said, “Have a wonderful evening.” As pleasant as she was, the princess, and all that came with her, was exhausting. He was looking forward to relaxing in front of a campfire, eating simple food, and lowering his guard. The strain of being all… princely was also wearing on him, and he needed time to recharge.

“You’re not staying here?” She asked, surprise evident in her face.

“No, we’ll be camping outside of town,” Steve said. “This way I can conduct my essential business without disturbing you and yours.” It was the excuse he and Chin had devised in anticipation of her question.

“Then I shall stay with you,” she declared, and despite his personal disappointment, Steve had to smother a smile at the looks of horror and disbelief in her retinue around her, because in their world, the “I” meant “we”, and they had no choice in the matter.

“Your highness, I don’t think that it will be up to your standards,” he said, trying to be diplomatic.

“I shall have dinner with you, and we can discuss it,” she said, a hint of steel underneath her smile.

Steve didn’t like having his plans disrupted, especially when he really needed the time away to just be himself and speak freely, and he didn’t appreciate her having the conversation with him in public. However, he reminded himself that apparently this had been the first she had heard of his staying elsewhere, so it wasn’t as though they’d had the opportunity to discuss it earlier.

“It would be my pleasure,” he said, sighing inwardly.

They allowed the retinue to take a break, and Chin went inside and explained things to the innkeeper – that they would be back in a short while, Steve had instructed him to say, not that they may not return at all.

Kono led the way to the clearing, about twenty minutes outside of town, and they arrived just as the sun was starting to set.

Steve relaxed slightly as he spied JennaKaye’s wagon and then worried about having enough to food to go around. They made their way to the far side and found tables with candles, chairs, and a banquet. He turned toward Kono, whose bland face didn’t mask the triumph in her eyes, and bowed his head in appreciation.

According to custom, he and the princess sat alone while the others sat at tables behind them. JennaKaye walked up, downcast eyes a little fearful, and served them the first course. Figuring she was nervous because she was intimidated, he gave her a small smile and nod of encouragement without a pause in his conversation with the princess.

The next three servings flew by, Steve once again enjoying the princess’ company, especially after she had expressed her surprise how basic he kept his camp. He wasn’t sure what she’d pictured, but she’d already mentioned that they would have to leave in a timely fashion in order to return to the inn in town so she could get a full night’s rest.

The dessert course arrived, and Steve’s brows furrowed at the large, masculine, very un-JennaKaye-like hands that placed the chocolate cake on his plate. He looked up and froze when he saw Danny, who had absolutely no expression on his face. He tried to catch Danny’s eyes, even though he knew he wouldn’t like the expression in them. In the short time they’d spent together, he’d learned that Danny’s eyes always revealed his emotions. But Danny refused to look at him, and Steve felt the loss as if a cold wind had blown right through him.

After dinner, the princess stopped as he was about to give her a hand up into her carriage and said softly, “Make sure you get some rest. You seemed exhausted by dessert.”

Catching Danny standing over by the tables, Steve found himself distracted. He smiled and evidently said something appropriate, judging by the smile she tossed his way as she stepped inside the carriage.

He and Chin accompanied the retinue back to the inn and spent an inordinate amount of time trying to make sure they were all settled for the night before returning to the campground. The emotional part of Steve wanted to race back and see Danny, but the rational, logical part knew that Danny wouldn’t be pleased about the whole princess thing, and Steve wasn’t excited about having that conversation.

“It would’ve been nice if I’d known in advance that Danny was going to be there,” Steve said conversationally on the ride back.

Chin was silent.

“I mean, I would think that the polite thing one could do for one’s prince would be to prepare him for something like that instead of surprising him with it in the middle of dinner.”

Chin opened his mouth, but closed it again.

Steve’s ire faded as quickly as it had come. “He seemed… I mean, he looked okay, right? He wouldn’t have served dessert if he’d been hurt or anything. And he got a haircut.”

“I know as much as you do,” Chin said. “I was just as surprised when Danny came out with dessert. Why did he do that?”

Steve didn’t even have to think twice. “It was his way of showing me that he could go on with his life too.” The thought that Danny’s life wouldn’t touch his own hurt, but he knew he was being selfish. How could he think about having a future with the princess in one moment and then feel bad that Danny could go on without Steve in the other?

“I’ll have Kono send him away when we get back to the campsite,” Chin said.

“No,” Steve said quickly. As much as he dreaded a confrontation with Danny, he was looking forward to talking with him, to being annoyed and amused and entertained as Danny always made him.

“There’s no guarantee that the princess is the answer to our dragon problem,” Chin said, misinterpreting Steve’s thoughts. “You’re right. It would be safest to have Danny there as well, just in case.”

Steve said nothing and left Chin with his misinterpretation.

By the time they arrived, the tables and extra food had disappeared, patchy grass the only hint that they’d been there at all. Steve found himself drawn to the comforting fire flickering in the darkness. He dismounted and found JennaKaye at his side to take the reins. “I have this, if you want to go ahead and relax at the fire.” Steve nodded and turned to find Danny leading away Chin’s horse.

Steve took a step to follow Danny, but Chin blocked his path. “Now isn’t the right time,” he said quietly, leading Steve to the fire.

“What do you mean?”

“He’s shut down. I doubt you’re going to get anything out of him right now.”

“What makes you the expert?” Steve asked irritably as they sat on logs placed around the fire.

“I got that exact look from Kono when we arrived earlier for dinner. Trust me, he’s not ready to talk.”

“But I’m ready!” Steve muttered, ignoring the fact that he had been dreading the conversation.

“But he isn’t your subject,” Chin reminded him.

“There has to be a loophole,” Steve muttered. “Doesn’t it count that he’s on my lands? Don’t my laws apply to him while he’s here?”

“The laws, yes,” Chin said, “but he’s under no obligation to be anything other than polite to you. You’re not his sovereign.”

JennaKaye appeared, holding a bowl filled with marshmallows and sticks. “I know you had dessert earlier, but I thought roasting marshmallows over the fire would be a wonderful way to finish the evening.”

Kono arrived a short while later, and she seemed in a slightly better mood, sitting on the log across from Steve, roasting her own marshmallow and teasing Steve about his arrival in camp. “Bet you were surprised, boss, when you got here with the princess and saw the spread,” she teased. “What’d you think, we don’t know how to camp in style?”

“I have to admit that I’ve never camped in such luxury. Good work. She was properly impressed – but not so much that she wanted to spend the night out here with us, away from the comfort of her bed.”

“Oh, I’m sure we could –” JennaKaye started but stopped abruptly at the quick shake of Kono’s head.

Steve saw the interaction and was glad that Kono had handled it so he didn’t have to dance around the fact that he needed time away from all the pomp and circumstance to just relax and be himself. As prince, there were certain lines drawn, and one of them was that he didn’t confide in all of his subjects. He had Chin, which would’ve been complicated if Chin didn’t inherently understand that the familiarity only extended so far. Kono had already blurred the line so much that he wondered if she even knew it existed, and JennaKaye was way too young to fully grasp all of its nuances. Still, Steve couldn’t help but look around every so often, wondering what’d happened to Danny. He was careful not to appear too obvious, or he knew he’d hear about it from Kono.

“Everything okay, boss?” Kono asked with a wicked grin. So much for his attempt at stealth.

“Fine,” he lied, focusing on the marshmallow he shoved onto his stick and put into the fire.

“Kono, thanks for letting me take care of that. I know you probably could’ve handled it with a wave of your… arm or wand or whatever, but it’s nice to at least pretend to be paying my way,” Danny said, walking into the clearing, rubbing his hands on a cloth. He looked up and stopped abruptly, spying Chin and Steve. Steve held his breath at the pained look in Danny’s eyes that was quickly covered up by a lack of emotion, as if he were encountering strangers. “I didn’t realize that royalty was slumming it with the rest of us.”

“Have a seat,” Kono said, patting the space on the log next to her.

Reluctantly, Danny sat, automatically taking the stick she handed to him. “Just what I always wanted. A stick.” Grinning, JennaKaye grabbed the bowl of marshmallows and passed it to him, and he passed it to Kono. “Thanks, but I think I’m going to pass tonight.”

“Your stomach still bothering you?” JennaKaye asked, cheeks growing pink at the looks Kono and Danny directed her way.

“What’s wrong?” Steve asked Danny, not even trying to hide his concern.

“I’m fine,” Danny said, catching his eye for a moment before staring into the fire.

“If you need a healer, I can –”

“I said I’m fine!” Danny snapped, the anger in his eyes fading quickly and being replaced with remorse. “Thank you for your concern.”

Steve was at a loss. He’d missed Danny and longed to have him beside him again, only to feel that he was dealing with a complete stranger.

“JennaKaye, we need to prepare for tomorrow,” Kono said, standing.

“Uh, okay.” Obviously surprised, JennaKaye awkwardly blew out the flame on the end of her stick before standing.

“Chin, we could use your help,” Kono said, her tone broking no argument.

“Right behind you,” Chin said, giving Steve a look that Steve couldn’t interpret. He narrowed it down to either do-not-mess-this-up or I-am-right-around-the-corner-should-you-need-me. Either would’ve been appropriate, so Steve figured he’d play it by ear.

He turned his attention to Danny, who looked shocked at how quickly they’d been left alone. “What’s wrong with your stomach?”

“It’s nothing – really,” Danny insisted. “I didn’t think about the fact that my body has been on this strict diet for years, and I need to give it time to readjust to eating other foods. Plus, I need to get used to making my own decisions, you know – ” he waved the hand holding a marshmallow, “eating when I want as opposed to when the food arrives.”

“That’s all it is?” Steve asked, trying to see if Danny were trying to keep something to himself.

“That’s it,” Danny promised, palm out.

They sat in silence for a few moments, Steve staring into the fire trying to figure out what he wanted to say and how to say it. He’d had all this time to work on a plan, and here he sat, undecided and confused.

“Look, I don’t want this to be uncomfortable for you,” Danny said softly. “I get it – I got it while we were still in the tower.”

“What’d you get?” Steve asked, because he was completely confused.

“That princess –” Danny waved an arm, and Steve had to stifle a smile at the familiar gesture. “She’s your future. I was just a…” Danny seemed to search for the word, “I was just a point of interest in the journey that is your life. She’s your destination.” He swallowed, his eyes on the fire, and Steve could tell that this wasn’t as easy for him as he was pretending.

Steve wanted to tell Danny that the man was completely wrong, but it would’ve been a lie, and they both knew it. He wanted to rail that Danny’d never even fought for them, but Steve had been the one who didn’t ask about Danny until after his ride with the princess. But Danny was important, too important for him to let go. He wasn’t sure what parts Danny and the princess played in his life, but he had a difficult time focusing on that when he had the whole dragon situation to deal with.

“I’d be lying if I told you that I know what the future holds,” he said, “but I can tell you that you mean more to me than just a point of interest.”

Danny smiled faintly, the firelight casting much of his face in shadow.

“I did some reading up on dragons yesterday,” Danny said, “so I’ll be coming along in case I can help in some way. After that…”

“After that?” Steve asked.

Danny took a deep breath. “I’ll go back to my lands and find a life.”

Steve wanted to reach over, grab Danny, and hold him tightly, missing his warmth, but he realized that he didn’t have the right. So instead they broke apart to their separate beds where Steve’s mind kept him awake most of the night.


	17. Chapter 17

The next two days they developed a routine of sorts. The mornings, Steve would breakfast with the princess at her inn, and they would set out by noon. Along the way, they had to stop a multitude of times for a multitude of different reasons. They had to take a break for an hour-long lunch, after which it took some time to gather everyone and pack everything before resuming their trip, the princess riding beside him until they arrived in a town with a suitable inn for the princess and her retinue to sleep. After a dinner at the campsite, Steve and Chin would escort them back to the inn before returning to the campsite to relax with Kono, JennaKaye, and Danny.

For some reason, that first night had dissolved much of the tension, and he thoroughly enjoyed watching Danny gently teasing Kono and JennaKaye and even Chin at times. They laughed and exchanged stories about growing up. Steve enjoyed sharing some of Chin’s most embarrassing moments, and he couldn’t help but notice how interested Kono was in them and how she seemed to sit closer and closer to Chin every evening. JennaKaye had some great stories about the customers that had stopped by her parents’ tea shop, and Danny challenged her every night, requesting some outlandish flavor tea for the next evening, and darned if she didn’t come through. He wasn’t sure if any of the others noticed, but Danny didn’t share much of his past, his stories pretty much confined to Grace’s exploits. He knew it wasn’t his place, but he wanted to ask about Danny growing up, about his parents, his family. Instead, he kept his distance, enjoying whatever time he could to watch Danny in the firelight, his hands waving around, as he teased someone about an embarrassing point in their history. If he felt a little left out each time Danny bypassed him to tease someone else, he reminded himself that he was lucky for what time he had in this special man’s company.

And every night he slept alone, hard and wanting, Danny the last thought in his mind before he drifted into a fitful sleep.

 

And that was their routine until that third day. Friday. The day Grace arrived.

Steve and Chin arrived at the inn at their normal time, Steve having breakfast with the princess while Chin helped with the departure preparations. However, things changed as Steve escorted the princess to her carriage. He heard a noise, something that sounded familiar but that he couldn’t place. Pushing it aside, he held the princess’ hand as she climbed up the two stairs and seated herself, adjusting her dress. He closed the door just as he heard, “Steve!” and felt a small projectile attach itself to his legs. He looked down and found Grace smiling up at him.

“Grace! How are you?”

“I’m good. Danno and I are riding with you today.”

Steve looked up and caught Chin’s eye, but Chin only shrugged.

“Your Highness, who is this… charming girl holding on to your legs?” The words were the embodiment of politeness, but the tone suggested that the princess didn’t appreciate the familiarity.

“This is Princess Grace,” Steve said, feeling a little reckless and picking her up.

Grace looked at the princess for a moment before saying very politely but using the same tone as the princess, “you may address me as your highness,” and Steve thought, there it is. She was the epitome of regal but with the snarkiness that was pure Danny.

The princess looked at Steve, who said, “Princess Grace, may I present Princess Catherine of Enterprise. Princess Catherine, this is Princess Grace of Jersey.” The two bowed, both very impressive considering that Princess Catherine was seated in the coach, and Grace was in his arms, but princesses were trained for moments like this.

After a small smile at the older princess, Grace proceeded to ignore her and turned to Steve. “I had the tutors teach me about Hawaii, Steve, but none of them’ve actually been here, and I have questions.”

“The prince is leading us on a dangerous mission to blow up a dragon,” the princess told Grace, using a condescending tone Steve remembered from his youth.

“It’s slay a dragon,” Grace corrected, using her own condescending tone, softening it with a smile so sweet that Steve imagined he had just gotten a tooth ache being in the vicinity. She barely turned long enough to make eye contact with the older princess before returning her attention to Steve. She wiggled, and Steve put her down. “I’ll go and find Danno.” She turned to the princess and curtsied, “It’s been a pleasure.” Turning back to Steve, she grinned. “I’ll see you in a few minutes!”

“How do you know that child?” The princess asked, her disdain a little less hidden.

“I rescued her father from a tower last week,” Steve said absently, watching Grace dodge around groups of people and livestock and horses. It took a few seconds for him to realize that he was hoping for a look at Danny, but a touch to his arm brought his attention back to the woman beside him.

“You rescued a prince from a tower?”

“He isn’t a prince,” Steve said, watching the play of expressions cross her face and not liking the feeling he got from it. “I’ll check on you during our first break,” he said, moving away.

“Your highness,” the princess called him back. “I’ve changed my mind. The day is quite beautiful, and I don’t wish to be confined inside. I believe I’ll ride with you now.”

Confused and a little annoyed, Steve opened the door, helping the princess down while he caught the eye of one of her retinue. “The princess will be riding with me. Prepare her horse.”

Of course that took even more time, making them depart even later, but they were only a short distance to Ambrosia, where the princess would be able to relax while they worked on blowing up – slaying – the dragon.

The princess rode beside him, her smile growing a little more forced when Grace rode up on his other side. “Hey, Steve!”

If he hadn’t been in between the two of them, he would’ve smiled as Grace’s grin grew a little more forced when she saw the princess.

“Hey, Grace. Your dad knows you’re up here, right?”

Grace looked behind her, made a face Steve couldn’t understand, and returned her attention to Steve. “Yes, he knows.”

“Your Highness,” the princess said, her voice soft and sweet. “What’s that lovely flower over there called?” She pointed to a delicate yellow flower with a splash of pink inside.

Fairly certain they’d had this conversation during their ride around the castle, he opened his mouth to answer.

“It’s the the pua aloalo, the country’s official flower. It’s also known as a yellow hibiscus,” Grace chimed in.

“That’s right,” Steve said, impressed.

Grace shrugged. “I told you; I’ve been studying.” She shot a quick, smug look toward the older princess before returning her attention to Steve. “I have some questions too.”

Steve could feel the tension between the two and never wished more for a trip to be over.

H5-0 H5-0 H5-0 H5-0

Danny rode beside Chin, watching Grace practice her wiles on Steve up ahead. They were too far behind to hear anything, but Danny was okay with that. On top of the fact that as a commoner, he wasn’t allowed to ride that closely to royalty, he didn’t want to be in the middle of two females fighting over a man, even if one of them were his own daughter.

“That looks pretty ugly up there,” he said quietly to Chin.

“Steve’ll make sure that Grace doesn’t get her feelings hurt,” Chin assured him.

“Don’t let those big eyes and that innocent smile fool you. Grace isn’t the one I’m worried about. She’s her mother’s daughter, and she’s been taught by one mean king. If she chooses, she could have that princess as a snack. No, I’m worried about Steve. You can tell by the confused look on his face that he has no idea what he’s in for today.”

“I think he’s starting to get an inkling,” Chin chuckled as they watched Steve’s head swivel back and forth between the two women.

“It’s strange to see Grace interacting with other people,” Danny admitted. “I’d never really thought of it before, but I’ve always had this picture in my mind of a little girl who needed my protection.” Instead, she’d arrived that morning accompanied by the little popping sound as he was tossing the last few items in the back of JennaKaye’s wagon. He’d apprised her about the trip, making sure she knew that she wouldn’t be in any danger, but she’d surprised him by her concerns.

“Why’re you riding in the wagon with JennaKaye?” She’d asked him.

He’d tried to make it sound exciting. “We have to arrive before everyone else, so we move fast, so fast that the trees blur.”

“But you’re sitting on a wagon? The entire time?” She asked.

Danny really wasn’t thrilled with it either. JennaKaye didn’t seem to mind, but after that first day, when his stomach had started to feel better, he’d longed for a horse underneath him, the freedom to control his own route, his own speed. He felt about as necessary as the twenty-odd people who seemed to stand around and watch the princess.

“My goal here is to be of use,” he said.

And then his baby girl surprised him again. “JennaKaye, do you need my daddy’s help?”

JennaKaye glanced at Danny before returning her gaze to Grace. “He’s helpful, but if he wanted to spend some time with you, that would be fine with me.”

Grace nodded and took Danny’s hand. “Danno, let’s ride with Steve.”

“Honey, I can’t ride with Steve,” he reminded her gently. “I’m not royalty.”

“But I am, and you’re my father,” she said.

“You’re a princess of another land,” Danny reminded her. “Have your tutors taught you the limits of your authority in other lands?”

She nodded hesitantly.

Danny knew his girl and could read her easier than any of the books in his tower. “Were you paying attention?”

“Sometimes,” she said, unwilling to fully commit to admitting that she hadn’t.

“Now you know why they spend all that time teaching you stuff that you find boring. You never know when that knowledge will come in handy.”

“Yes, Danno,” she said sullenly.

“Besides, I thought you wanted to spend time with me.”

“I do,” Grace insisted. “But I didn’t get to know him. I spent some time with Chin, Kono, and JennaKaye, but you had Steve all to yourself.”

Danny sighed. “You can ride with him as long as it’s okay with him. Remember who you are.”

Grace rolled her eyes but said, “Yes, Danno.”

Watching her asking Steve questions, Danny was impressed. She managed to monopolize his time, if Danny were reading the situation correctly, never giving the older princess the opportunity to slip in a word edgewise. Danny’s little princess was also utilizing her charm, causing Steve to smile and even throw back his head in laughter.

Feeling Chin’s attention on him, Danny buried the smile Steve’s laugh had conjured and tried to think of anything other than the fact that he was a little jealous of his daughter being able to freely demand of Steve’s time, of being able to ride beside him, make him laugh, force his attentions away from that woman.

“It looks like we’re close,” Danny said, tilting his head toward the large plumes of smoke in the distance.

“Maybe about three hours or so, depending on how many stops we have to make along the way,” Chin said.

“If we’re lucky, we’ll be able to take care of this fairly quickly,” Danny said, throwing Chin a sarcastic look, “you know, between the princess and I.”

Chin chuckled, then paused for a moment before asking, “And then what? What’re your plans for the future?”

Danny shrugged. “I figure I’ll head back to Jersey, try to find a really small town where I can maybe get back into my old line of work.”

“What was that?”

“I was a deputy.”

“A lawman?” Chin asked, looking at Danny as if he were just seeing him for the first time.

“Yeah, and I was pretty good at it, if I do say so myself.”

“You like putting people in jail?”

Chin’s voice was teasing, but Danny chose the answer the question seriously. “I liked deciphering the clues, making the town safer. It wasn’t so much the throwing bad people in jail part that I enjoyed as much as the helping the good people live happier lives.” He rolled his eyes. “I know that sounds simplistic and cheesy, but…” he shrugged. He’d toyed with trying to be something he wasn’t once, when he was still in love with Rachel and had hoped that she would stand up for him, for their family, and tell her father that he was the man she had chosen, but he’d quickly realized that he was the only thing he would have left at the end of it all. Well, that and Grace. And what kind of father could he be if he so easily lost himself? So now he tried to remain true to himself, regardless of how ridiculous he seemed. It was the one thing no one could take away from him.

“It sounds like a noble calling,” Kono said thoughtfully, appearing on Danny’s other side.

Clutching at his chest, he asked, “How’s it even possible that you sneak around on horseback?”

Kono laughed, a bright, free sound that had all three royals looking back at them curiously.

Danny focused on Kono, hoping the color in his face would fade. “Where’d you come from?”

“I’m always around,” Kono said, showing her dimples. “How’re you feeling?”

“I’m fine,” Danny said. “I was just a little stupid; it won’t happen again.”

“What happened?” Chin asked.

“He wasn’t eating,” Kono said, leaning over her horse’s neck to catch Chin’s eye.

“I was eating,” Danny corrected.

“An apple in three days doesn’t constitute eating,” Kono corrected.

“I was a little off balance!” Danny complained.

“And then once he regained consciousness,” Kono told Chin, ignoring Danny completely, “he went and ate all this meat and threw it up.”

“Could you please tell that story a few more times, and make sure you say it louder so everyone’ll be sure to catch it,” Danny complained.

“It was a stupid thing to do,” Chin confirmed.

“I believe I admitted that way at the beginning of this conversation.”

“You need a keeper,” Kono said.

“I’m a grown ass man. I managed to take care of myself long before I met Rachel, thank you very much, and I took care of us both pretty darn well – by regular person standards, that is.”

“You didn’t treat her like a princess?”

Sighing, Danny said, “I thought I did until I learned how real princesses are treated. Having your husband serve you breakfast in bed isn’t all that exciting after you’ve been served four courses, had your hair brushed, and given a massage before you’ve even gotten out of bed that morning.” He noticed Chin and Kono exchange looks, and he added, “Look, I’ve had ten years to contemplate the world and my place in it, and I’m past all the illusions.” He tried his best not to think of Steve. “I’m just going to find a little hole in the wall and try to live as happily as I can.” He’d gotten along quite well without having even known about Steve’s existence a week ago. Now his life without Steve stretched forward ahead of him, a dusty road after walking down a path filled with lush greens and fragrant flowers.

“What if you’re destined for more than that?” Kono asked him.

“I’ll tell you where destiny can go,” Danny said decisively. “So far, destiny has left Gracie and I well alone, and she can just keep on moving.”

Eventually, they entered the town of Ambrosia, watching the three royals deftly navigate the crowds of people lining the streets.

“Grace seems to be handling everything well,” Chin noticed.

“She’s a true princess, that one,” Danny said proudly, although he was always worried that she would let it go to her head. He’d determined even before she was born that he was going to be the person who made sure she remembered that being royalty didn’t excuse her from being a decent person. Luckily for him, Grace had a good, sympathetic heart. She just had to be reminded of that from time to time.

Danny also took it upon himself to make sure she got to have fun, that she got to be a kid sometimes, midst all of the lessons and formalities. Now that he was free from the tower, he hoped that he could make more of an impact. Maybe he could find a small town close enough to the castle so that she could come see him more often. That thought was enough to soothe the part of his heart that would feel the lack of Steve in his life.

They stopped in front of one of the more impressive inns Danny’d seen, and he dismounted beside Kono and Chin, waiting for Grace to return. Steve dismounted, assisting the older princess before helping Grace down. A girl about Grace’s age came up to her shyly with a bouquet of flowers, and Grace took the flowers with a smile. The girl said something, causing Grace to frown and say something back that caused the girl’s smile to crumple, tears pooling in her eyes.

“Grace!” Danny barked. He made sure he didn’t bellow, but he knew his tone and his face would reveal his displeasure.

Grace jumped slightly, turning to look at her father, and Danny could see the guilt all over her face. He kept his stern expression and gestured for her to come to him. He hated being tough with his girl, but he knew his primary goal was to make sure she grew up to be the good person he knew she was.

 

Steve had been talking with the princess when he heard Danny’s low, serious tone, and he couldn’t stop from looking at Grace, watching her stiffen as she walked past a tearful little girl and dragged her feet toward her stern looking father. He watched her stop in front of him, flowers in her hand, her head lowered. He was too far away to hear the words, but he saw Danny take a knee in front of his daughter, speaking intently to her, his arms still waving but without the large, fierce strokes. Eventually, she started nodding until she threw her arms around him, and he hugged back just a fiercely, his eyes closed.

Steve didn’t know he was smiling until the princess cleared her voice, drawing back his attention. “I apologize. What were you saying?”

“I was saying,” she said, her voice and face tense. “that I’ll need some time after such a challenging morning ride. Perhaps we could go visit your dragon tomorrow morning?”

Steve couldn’t blame her for wanting some time away. Grace’s thinly veiled condescension and barbs wrapped in flowery words had consistently chipped away at the woman’s good nature, and there was nothing the older woman could do. If she fought back, she looked like a bully. So she’d had to smile and take it, and Steve’d been impressed. Of course, he should have said something to diffuse the situation, but part of him – a part that he would never admit to – had enjoyed it, while the other part was just a little apprehensive at the idea of coming between the two of them.

“That gives me time to coordinate with my military advisors and assess the situation,” Steve said, feeling the need to add, “thank you for your patience today; Grace is definitely –”

“She’s being groomed to hold her own, and she’s being taught well,” the princess said reluctantly. “She possesses a determination that I would’ve liked to have had at that age.”

“I’m impressed with your patience and your grace,” Steve said, kissing her on the hand.

“And I’m impressed with yours,” she said, smiling widely.

“Until tomorrow, then.” Steve stepped back and watched her enter the inn, followed by her retinue, before turning and finding Kono and Chin a small distance away, staring at him. Kono had her arms folded, her eyes narrowed. Chin, as ever, stared at him impassively.

He walked up to them and wanted to ask them where Danny and Grace went, but now wasn’t the time. “Let’s go talk to the general, get an updated status.”

“I’ll come as well, in case you need my input,” Kono said decisively, making Steve wonder when it was that the women in his life started making him more nervous than a fire-breathing dragon.

 

After having Grace use her charms to make the little girl happy again, Danny remounted his horse and pulled a sniffling Grace in front of him. He’d had to practice a little tough love, but he always made sure that they hugged it out. He rode slowly out of town, enjoying the way she leaned against him, trying to imprint the moment in his memory, because he knew way too soon she was going to be too old to do things like this with him. She was dozing by the time they made it to the campground, and it took JennaKaye’s help and some fancy maneuvering in order to dismount without waking her. He walked her into their tent, laid her on her bed, grabbed some notes he had made at the library, and turned to leave.

“Danno?” Grace said sleepily.

Danny turned to find her blinking owlishly at him, and he went back to the bed, putting a hand on her forehead. “Go back to sleep, Monkey.”

“Where’re you going?”

Danny had been ruminating on his plans during the journey to Ambrosia. “I’m going to do some recon.”

Grace was her father’s daughter and made to rise. “I want to go too.”

“No,” Danny said, not letting her get up. “Go back to sleep. Promise me that when you wake up from your nap, you’ll not try to follow me.”

“Promise,” Grace said easily, a little too easily.

“And leave Steve alone,” Danny added, his daughter’s father. “Help JennaKaye until I get back, okay?”

Sighing, Grace nodded. “Okay.” Danny was almost out of the tent when Grace called him back. “Be careful,” she said around a yawn.

“Always, with you waiting for me,” Danny said, smiling as her eyes closed. “I’ll be back later on tonight. Promise.”

Finding JennaKaye was easy; all he had to do was follow the thumping sounds to find her leaning half inside the wagon, obviously searching for something. “I have a favor.”

“You want me to watch over Grace,” she said, throwing a smile at him behind her.

“Yes, please. I want to do a little recognizance, get to know the area.”

“Do the others know?”

“Can Kono read minds?” Danny asked, only half kidding, making JennaKaye laugh. “I’ll be back by dinner.”


	18. Chapter 18

Instead of using the road, Danny chose to follow the stream beside where JennaKaye had broken camp. Keeping track of his destination was simple thanks to the smoke rising in the area, and he took a circular route, remaining in the bushes where he could see the dragon.

It was larger and more colorful than he’d expected. Crouched by a small thatch of woods, it shifted its weight while staring down about ten men in armour – some of Steve’s army, Danny assumed. The sunlight reflected off its scales, revealing that only about half were actually a shiny green; the others created a rainbow effect that was either beautiful or blinding, depending on one’s angle. Danny focused on the dragon’s head, making note of its size and other distinguishing marks before rifling through his papers to confirm his suspicions. He began to move forward, but the dragon’s head turned his direction, its nose twitching. Backing off, he returned to the stream and began to strip, hiding his notes and clothes in a nearby bush, and quickly doused himself with the chilly water from the creek. After he was wet enough, he took a deep breath and grabbed for some mud.

 

It was a weary Steve, Chin, and Kono who appeared at the campsite as the sky grew dark. They’d first listened to all the reports and then made plans to bring both Danny and the princess safely to the dragon – at separate times – the following day.

“Hey, guys!” Grace’s bright, cheerful face greeted them at the campfire. “JennaKaye and I made dinner!” She stood up and jumped toward Steve, who had just enough time to grab her before she fell.

“There’s nothing better than coming in from a hard days’ work to find food and two lovely ladies,” Chin said, seating himself.

“I second that,” Steve said, trying to seat himself without dumping Grace on the ground or falling himself.

“That’s not fair. Where’s my lovely man?” Kono complained, sitting beside Chin.

“Danno went to gather intel,” Grace said, climbing off of Steve.

“What? When?” Steve asked, standing and ignoring the plate JennaKaye held out to him. “How long has he been gone?”

“Why did he go alone?” Kono asked, ignoring the plate JennaKaye tried to give her.

“All I know is that he asked me to keep an eye on Grace, and he said that he’d be back later.” She tried to hand the plate to Chin.

“We’re not going to be able to find him in the dark,” Chin said, ignoring JennaKaye.

“Is anyone eating tonight?” JennaKaye asked, frustrated.

“I’ll take it,” Grace said. “I bet it’s good; we’re great cooks!”

“Did he say which route he was going to take?” Steve wasn’t about to agree to wait until the next morning. He couldn’t stand the thought of Danny hurt somewhere, bleeding, needing help while he sat here comfortable in front of the fire.

“Danno’ll be back soon,” Grace said, unconcerned. “He promised.”

“Chin’s right,” Kono said. “There’s no way we would be able to find him tonight.”

“I can’t just sit here and do nothing while Danny is out there somewhere!”

“I guess it’s good then that I came back,” Danny said, walking into the clearing.

Steve stepped forward, managing to refrain from grabbing the man and rubbing his hands all over him to make sure he was okay. Instead he just stared at him, trying to see if he were hurt. “Are you okay? Why are you shivering?”

Danny sat on the log beside Grace. “I didn’t have the foresight to pack a towel.” He nudged Grace with his shoulder. “Hey, Monkey.”

“Eww,” she complained. “You’re all wet!”

“I’m damp,” Danny admitted, “but I’ll dry off soon.”

“You’ll get sick,” Steve said. “Go change clothes.”

“Your Highness,” JennaKaye said, “Umm…”

“I’ll be fine,” Danny said.

“Uh, Your Highness,” JennaKaye said tentatively.

“It’ll only take a couple of minutes,” Steve insisted. “We don’t eat until you change.”

“Except for me!” Grace sang out happily, taking a bite from her plate.

“Except for Grace,” Steve agreed.

“Your Highness,” JennaKaye muttered.

“What!” Steve growled.

“Those are his only clothes.” JennaKaye raised her chin bravely, the quiver in her voice only slightly noticeable.

“But JennaKaye does thoughtfully clean them every night through some magic of hers,” Danny said, still shivering.

“He only agreed to it as a service to the rest of us,” JennaKaye said cheekily.

“And he has no shoes,” Chin said, finally taking a plate from JennaKaye.

“Or socks,” Grace added helpfully.

“Not really helping,” Danny said, his voice shaking slightly as his body shivered.

Steve looked at Danny’s clothing, realizing for the first time that it was the same outfit he’d put on their last morning in the tower. The knees and elbows were starting to show serious wear, and he noticed a tear on Danny’s right shoulder. “Why didn’t you say something?”

“I’m not taking charity,” Danny said firmly.

“It’s not charity,” Steve said, sighing.

“That is what I told him,” Kono said, taking a bite of her food.

“You knew about this?” Steve asked her.

Kono shrugged.

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“You never asked,” Kono said simply.

“Here,” Chin draped a blanket over Danny’s shoulders.

“Thanks,” Danny said, waving away a plate and drawing the blanket around him.

“So let me get this straight,” Steve said, pressing at his temples as he paced. “You’ve been wearing the same set of clothes since we left the tower with no shoes and socks. You go all by yourself to do intel around a dragon, and you return soaking wet.”

“First of all, my clothes are my business, and after ten years without them, maybe I prefer not to wear shoes. Secondly, I find doing intel alone makes it easier for me to get in and out faster and undetected. Remember, I’m a professional.” Danny’s words probably would’ve made more of an impact if his voice had not been shivering.

“Is there dessert?” Grace asked, unperturbed.

“Let’s go see,” JennaKaye said, holding out her hand.

“Kono and I’ll go with you,” Chin said, clasping Kono’s shoulder.

“Oh, but –” Kono’s voice cut off when Chin grabbed her hand and pulled her after him.

For a second, Steve just stood there, staring at Danny. Even with a tinge of blue to his lips, shivering underneath a blanket, he pulled at something within Steve. Walking to sit in Grace’s empty spot, Steve turned toward Danny, fisting his hands to keep them from reaching out. “Danny, I need you to be safe.”

“I was perfectly safe,” Danny said.

“What about the clothes?”

“I told you –”

“Stop being so proud. You’re assisting me – my country. The least we can do is provide you with some clothes. It’s not charity; it’s letting us take care of someone who is helping us.”

“Fine,” Danny said reluctantly, and Steve had to fight back a grin.

“Now, about this wandering around by yourself.”

“I wasn’t ‘wandering around’. I formulated a plan and followed it.”

“Really? And what did you learn?” He folded his arms.

“I figured out a few things,” Danny said, his even voice showing that he was ignoring Steve’s attitude, “but then some of your soldiers showed up and messed up the entire thing. I need to go back tomorrow to confirm my theory.”

“Who’re you taking with you?” Steve asked, already knowing the answer.

Danny sighed. “Steve, I used to do this kind of thing all the time, and I have done research on dragons. I can handle myself. What would make it more difficult is having someone I need to watch out for while I’m trying to work.”

“It’s not like looking for some mean goat. You can’t go alone.” Steve said. “It’s not negotiable.”

Danny glared at him, and Steve prepared himself. “You’re not my king.”

Steve had to laugh. “Is that the adult version of ‘you’re not the boss of me’?”

Danny tried not to laugh but eventually gave in. “I guess so.”

“How about I go with you? I promise, I can take care of myself.”

“Nope,” Danny said, and Steve had to squelch the sudden disappointment he felt. There must have been something in his expression, because after a moment, Danny sighed. “You have to attend to your princess.”

“First, she’s not my princess. Secondly, we can go early, leave before dawn.” He caught the flicker of a look pass over Danny, but he couldn’t read it. He wasn’t sure if it were because of the brief glimpses of the detail he caught in the firelight or if he just didn’t know Danny well enough to be able to track the nuances on the man’s face.

“If – and I’m not agreeing to this yet,” Danny warned, “if I say yes, you have to promise to let me take charge. Trust me and follow my direction.”

Steve shrugged. Danny wasn’t a stupid man, and Steve trusted him. “Promise.”

“You won’t like it,” Danny said.

“What won’t I like?” He was already anticipating spending time alone with Danny.

“The reason I’m like this –” Danny motioned to his body, “ –is because I had to get naked, wet myself down, and cover myself with mud and then grass to mask my scent. I hadn’t planned on it, so I had to put my clothes on while I was still wet, hence…” he motioned to his body again. “You ready to do all that?”

Forcibly tamping down his excitement at being naked and alone with Danny, Steve shrugged, forcing nonchalance. “I’ll remember to bring towels.”

“I’m sure you’ll have at least four hidden in various pockets.” Danny’s arms waved in the direction of Steve’s cargo pants.

“So, what’d you learn? Anything we can use to destroy it?”

“I’m working on a theory.”

“Feel like sharing it?”

“Not without confirmation,” Danny said.

“Why not? You almost get yourself killed doing your intel, but now you won’t even share anything?”

Danny shrugged a shoulder, almost lost in his shivers. “I was perfectly safe, thank you very much.”

“You’re never ‘perfectly safe’ when you’re in the company of a dragon,” Steve reminded him.

Danny rolled his eyes, and Steve smiled fondly at him, fisting his hand to keep it from reaching out, pressing his palm against Danny’s cheek.

They stared at each other in the moonlight for a few short moments before Danny sneezed.

“You idiot,” Steve said fondly, finally giving in to the urge and rubbing the blanket briskly over Danny’s arms. “You’re not going to be any good to us sick.” Danny leaned into him, giving Steve easy access to the front of his body. Adjusting himself so Danny’s back was against him, Steve rubbed the blanket against Danny’s chest, not able to resist slowing his movements to a caress. Sighing, Danny’s damp head fell back against Steve’s shoulder, and Steve felt the tension ease from both of their bodies. Even if neither one were willing to admit it, their bodies seemed to know inherently that they belonged together. Closing his eyes, he leaned his head against Danny’s, ignoring the other man’s dampness. “I need you to take care of yourself.”

Danny’s stomach took that moment to let out a loud rumble, and they both chuckled.

“When was the last time you ate?” Steve asked.

“I ate, um…” Danny muttered, his head still on Steve’s shoulders, his eyes closed.

Steve waited.

Sighing, Danny lifted his head and opened his eyes. “I ate sometime today… I’m sure. Breakfast definitely.”

It was Steve’s turn to sigh.

“I’m doing okay,” Danny insisted. “It’s just tougher than I thought, you know, out here. I knew I had my freedom taken away, but I didn’t realize how much of my free will I’d given up. Decisions were all made instantly, like what to eat or where to eat or even when to eat were pretty much dictated to me. I was told when to go to bed, I was given specific books to read… After ten years, I’m just needing a little time to get used to making my own decisions again.”

Steve’s guilt returned. “I’m sorry I haven’t been here for you –”

“What? Hey.” Danny turned slightly making eye contact. “Enough with the face. I’m a grown man who has indeed lived in the real world, and I’ll be fine. You rescued me from a life stuck in a tower. I think you’ve more than done your part.”

“But I want to do more,” Steve admitted, loving the myriad of expressions that ran through Danny’s eyes. He’d missed this time.

Danny smiled, a small, sad smile. “But you can’t. You have obligations and a princess.”

Steve sighed. “I told you. She’s not –”

“No. We don’t need to talk about her. She seems pretty amazing, the perfect partner.” Danny pulled away, standing, and it took a moment for Steve to realize that the chill he felt was more than the loss Danny’s warmth.

“You’ve soaked through the blanket. You need to change before you get sick.”

“On it, boss,” JennaKaye said, walking into to firelight, clothes in hand.

Danny took the clothes and pointed them at his daughter, who’d accompanied JennaKaye. “I’m getting changed, and then it’s bed for you.”

“Can Steve put me to bed?” Grace asked, sitting next to him on the log, leaning her head against his side and smiling up at him.

Steve couldn’t help it. He melted. And looked hopefully at Danny. “You really should change as soon as possible, and it’s getting really late.”

Danny sighed, rolling his eyes. Turning toward Chin, Kono, and JennaKaye, he gestured toward Steve and Grace. “Look at what I have to deal with. That face times two.” He turned back to Steve and Grace. “Fine. But I don’t want to hear any crazy noises coming out of that tent.”

“I’ll be good, Danno,” Grace promised.

Danny knelt in front of Grace, and Steve could see the unguarded love shining out of his eyes. “Of course you will. I’m talking to Steve.” Grace giggled and Steve couldn’t help but smile at the impish grin Danny flicked over to him before hugging his daughter. “Goodnight, Monkey. Danno loves you.”

“I love you too,” Grace said, flinging her arms around his neck. She quickly let go, though. “Ewww, you’re still wet.”

“Hey, I’m drying off,” Danny protested, standing.

“Slowly,” Steve muttered, grabbing Grace and standing up with her on his hip. “Get changed and eat.” He pointed at Danny. “And stay here. I’ll be back.”

Danny rolled his eyes. “I’ll hold my breath in anticipation.”

Grace giggled again, and Steve turned away to hide his smile.

“Am I too heavy, Steve?” Grace asked.

“I think you weigh less than my surfboard,” Steve said. “Let’s see.” He tilted her and held her under his arm like he would his surfboard and grinned as she laughed. “Yep, just as I thought. Less than my surfboard.”

“That’s my bed.” She pointed to the cot with the pink blanket.

After putting her in the bed and pulling up the covers, he sat on the floor beside her and ran a hand over her head. “You ready to get some sleep?”

“I guess,” she said reluctantly, reminding Steve of how tough he’d found it to go to sleep when he was her age. Abruptly, she rolled over to stare at him, her cheek resting on her hands. “Steve? Do you like my Danno?”

Those eyes, so much like her father’s, stared at him, and he couldn’t lie to her. “I like him very much.”

“He likes you too.”

“Really?” He felt a goofy smile spreading across his face.

“Yeah. I can tell.” She frowned. “But you like that princess too, right?”

Steve felt his smile start to fall. “It’s complicated.”

“That’s what grownups always say,” Grace complained.

She sounded so dramatic that Steve chuckled.

“No, really,” Grace insisted. “That’s what mom told me when I asked her about why she didn’t choose to live with Danno instead of staying with grandfather. And it’s what Danno said when I asked him about his mom and dad.”

That peaked Steve’s curiosity, but he didn’t feel that asking Grace more about the situation was appropriate. He made a mental note to bring it up with Danny at some point.

But Grace wasn’t finished. “Mom also said it when I told her I wanted a baby sister like Danno has.”

That took Steve by surprise. “Danny has a sister? How come she didn’t get to visit him in the tower?”

“She was born sick, and Danny’s mom and dad had to take her somewhere to get better.”

“Poor Danny,” Steve said.

“He was six,” Grace said, shifting slightly to get more comfortable. “They promised him that they’d come back for him,” she yawned, “but they never did. They picked her over him, just like mom picked grandma and grandpa.”

Steve wasn’t liking the picture that was starting to form, and he wasn’t sure what to tell Grace. A small snort and a sigh made him realize that she was already asleep. Relieved, he walked back out to the campfire where Danny sat, eyes half-mast, hunched over a partially eaten plate of food. He didn’t move when Steve sat beside him and gently took the plate. “Danny, go to bed.”

Danny roused slightly, eyes squinting as he looked at Steve. “But you wanted to talk,” he slurred, his voice rising slightly as if he couldn’t decide if he were asking or telling.

Placing his hand gently on Danny’s shoulder, he said, “We can talk tomorrow morning when we go on recon.”

“Right,” Danny said, and Steve knew the man must be exhausted if he weren’t going to continue to argue about it.

Danny continued to sit there, and stare into the fire.

“Danno,” Steve said.

“Right,” Danny repeated, still motionless until Steve nudged him.

“Do I need to carry you too?” Steve teased.

Danny roused enough to throw Steve a sleepy glare before finally pushing himself off the log and stumbling toward his tent.

Steve continued to stare at the campfire, absently eating the rest of Danny’s food as thoughts of lonely little boys and rejected men and loving fathers raced around in his mind.


	19. Chapter 19

A little before dawn, Danny crept out of the tent he was sharing with Grace and almost screamed when he turned into a body. “Damnit, Steve!” He whispered harshly. “Give a guy some warning.”

“I thought you’d appreciate the stealth.” In the slight light, Danny could see the white of Steve’s teeth as he smiled.

“I’ll show you stealth,” Danny muttered, leading the way toward the stream. He refrained from speaking until they’d moved far enough from campsite so he was sure they wouldn’t bother the others sleeping. “You tell Kono or Chin about this?”

“They’d have been right here if I had,” Steve said, looking back. “In fact, I’m surprised they didn’t figure it out on their own.”

Danny shrugged, recalling how they’d headed to the same tent the night before. “Maybe they have other things on their mind.” Leaving it at that, he decided to change the subject. “We’ll head down river for about two miles or so.”

“You mean we aren’t going to get naked and muddy here?”

Danny heard the laughter in Steve’s voice and refused to turn around. He could picture the look on the man’s face and knew if he stopped now they’d never make it to the dragon, and having his Grace find him naked and sexing up a prince would put all three of them in a bad place for a long time. Instead, he tossed one of the two towels he’d found in his tent behind him. “Shut up and take your towel.” He refused to acknowledge the surge of warmth he felt at just being with Steve again. How was it possible that he’d become so attached to someone after such a short amount of time? 

Their walk through the woods, the trickle of the stream beside them, Steve’s steady presence made everything more intimate, and Danny found himself desperately searching for something to remind him of why being with Steve was such a bad idea. “So tell me about your princess.”

Steve had begun walking alongside him, and Danny felt the man sigh. “She’s not my princess, and I thought we weren’t going to talk about her.”

“We’re not going to talk about you two together.” Danny corrected, waving his arms in a sweeping gesture. “I’m asking about her. What’s she like?”

Steve was quiet for a moment. “She’s regal and beautiful.”

“I could tell that even from a distance,” Danny said. “And I know she possesses patience by the way she managed to refrain from leaping across you to get to my daughter.”

Steve chuckled. “She was actually impressed with Grace.”

“I’m sure she was,” Danny said, trying to remind himself why he brought up the damn woman in the first place.

“She’s smart and intelligent.”

“She seems like a pretty decent person,” Danny offered but couldn’t resist adding, “for royalty.”

Steve huffed out a laugh. “She’s the ideal princess.”

Danny closed his eyes for a second but just focused on breathing and moving forward when all he wanted to do was just… stop.

“And she would’ve been the ideal person I’d have chosen to spend the rest of my life with if I hadn’t met this mouthy, short, pain in the ass just a few days earlier who somehow managed to ruin her for me.”

Annoyance over his description warred with happiness over the meaning behind the actual words, and Danny took a moment – a short one before saying, “Hey, watch how you talk about my daughter.” He grinned when he heard Steve huff a laugh.

The rest of the walk was filled with snarky comments – mostly made by Steve – and thoughtful, witty rejoinders – all made by Danny – and before he realized it, they were as close to the dragon as Danny felt comfortable getting as they were.

“This is about as far as we go like this,” he said, tossing his towel over a bush.

“Time to get naked, wet, and muddy?” Steve asked, pulling his shirt over his head, revealing that defined torso that Danny remembered running his hands, and then his tongue, all over. He forced himself to turn away and take off his own clothing, stashing it in the bushes beside him before leading the way to the stream. Keeping his mind on the task at hand, he walked into the water until it almost reached his knees. He turned so that he could see Steve out of the corner of his eye and tried to focus on the cold water as they wet themselves down.

“That should be good enough,” Danny said, ignoring his hoarse tone. “Grab mud from the waterbed and rub it all over yourself, especially your hair.”

Only when he was sure that Steve was pretty well covered did Danny turn to him. Seeing the man with the bright eyes and white teeth midst all the dirt made Danny laugh so hard he had to brace his hands on his thighs and avert his eyes in order to regain his equilibrium.

“Laugh all you want,” Steve said, chuckling, “but you look just as ridiculous.”

Danny didn’t want to tell Steve that he looked like a work of art, a strange mixture of nature and man, so he just reigned in his amusement and followed Steve to the bank. “We need to take care of the bottoms of our legs and feet, and we’ll be set.”

Taking fistfuls of mud from the edge of the river, they completed covering their bodies, and Danny led the way toward the dragon. It was early enough that the dragon should still be asleep – unless Steve’s damn soldiers were riling it, and Danny was happy to find it breathing regularly as he and Steve knelt at the edge of the tree line.

“It’s actually kind of beautiful,” Steve said quietly, so close that his breath tickled Danny’s ear.

Danny huffed a laugh. “When she’s not breathing fire and torching your men, you mean.”

“She?”

Danny nodded. “I need to go in. Stay here.”

Steve grabbed Danny’s arm. “I’m coming with you.”

“No,” Danny said. “Stay here. Don’t come out, even if your stupid men show up and wake her up. Remember, this is recon only.”

“But –”

“You promised.” Danny swallowed a smile at the annoyed look on Steve’s face. Before he thought twice about it, he touched Steve’s cheek, pulling off a twig. “I’ll be right back.”

After a second, Steve nodded, frowning.

Danny crept along the edge of the forest until he got close enough to the dragon to touch her. The scales glinted in the moonlight at him, and he wanted to touch one, just to see what it felt like, but he didn’t want to chance waking her up.

Unfortunately, the small camp of soldiers created enough of a hullabaloo that the dragon awoke, one eye opening.

Danny held his breath and remained still.

The eye closed.

Danny sidled a little closer along the dragon’s side.

Another noise came from the camp, and one of the soldiers made an appearance, weaving slightly, eyes half-mast.

The dragon took a deep breath and, smelling human, woke immediately. Oblivious, the soldier unbuttoned his trousers and began to pee on a bush. The dragon growled a little, and the soldier finally seemed to wake up, freezing where he stood.

Danny stood, silent and still, hoping that the soldier would simply back up slowly and walk away, but the man simply stood there, obviously terrified.

The dragon started to take a breath, and Danny knew what was going to happen next, so he stepped in front of the dragon’s large head, balled up his fist, and punched the dragon’s snout. He turned to the soldier and shouted, “Get out of here!” before returning his attention to the dragon for some damage control. Hopefully, if the books he’d devoured were correct, he’d be able to get himself out of there alive.

 

Steve crouched by the tree, hand on the large knife he’d insisted on taking, feeling the wrongness of the situation. Yes, he knew that Danny, as the one who’d done the most research on dragons, was the logical person to go in, but he didn’t like hiding behind something. It reeked of cowardice. What if Danny needed him? He was too far away to protect him.

He watched Danny edge up to the sleeping dragon, and while a large part of him worried, another, smaller part allowed a moment to admire the man’s naked form. Even covered in mud and grass, Danny’s ass looked spectacular. Of course, Steve hadn’t been above sneaking a peek earlier as they were getting ready; he’d seen it all before – heck, he’d pretty much mapped it out in the tower – and he realized that he missed the soft-looking fur on Danny’s chest, the solid strength he hid beneath his clothes. Steve’d had to fight back the urge to walk up to the shorter man and run his hands over the skin he saw and taste it just a little bit.

Jerking his mind back to the present, Steve’s attention was caught by a movement out of the corner of his eye, and he saw a sleepy soldier trip over to a rock and begin to relieve himself. “Fool,” Steve muttered, trying to figure out a way to alert the man without waking the dragon. He looked back toward Danny and saw glowing green eyes peering from that direction. “Shit.”

Hoping that Danny would slowly move away from the dragon but instinctively knowing that he wouldn’t choose his own safety over another’s, Steve straightened and stepped into the clearing just in time to watch Danny punch the dragon straight onto the nose while yelling for the soldier to run. Steve sprinted toward Danny, ready to grab the man and pull him to safety, but he slowed when Danny, attention still on the dragon, held out his hand behind him, gesturing for Steve to stay back.

Despite everything in him wanting to ignore Danny’s directions, Steve paused, but he didn’t return to the edge of the forest. He trusted Danny.

The dragon, not so much.

He heard Danny shouting at the dragon, straining to be heard over the deep growl rumbling from its belly. Danny’s arms got into the conversation, waving about, and Steve couldn’t stop the smile from creeping across his face at the sight. Even while confronting a dragon, Danny couldn’t not be who he was.

Eventually, the dragon’s rumblings grew quieter, and Steve couldn’t believe it when the dragon blinked at Danny and grew silent.

“What’s he doing?”

Steve turned, surprised to find one of the soldiers standing next to him. “He’s talking to it.” Steve marveled at his own matter-of-fact tone, considering he’d been ready to take the knife in his hand and shove it in the dragon’s brain to save Danny.

“Is he – is he naked?”

Steve couldn’t help but smile. “As the day he was born.”

The man turned his attention to Steve, blinking at the naked, muddy, and grassy man next to him. “Your Highness? Is that you? What happened?” The man’s gaze slid down Steve’s body, only to jerk back up when he realized his prince was also naked underneath all of the grime.

Steve smiled. “Don’t ask.” His attention returned to Danny, who was now stroking the dragon’s nose.

“Is he… petting it?”

“Looks like,” Steve said.

Suddenly the dragon rose, and Steve braced himself, feeling the solder tense beside him. Danny didn’t move an inch but kept speaking quietly to it. Tilting its head, all of its attention on Danny, it opened its mouth, revealing at least two rows of sharp teeth.

“It’s going to eat him!” The soldier whispered, turning toward his troops. “Our cannon’s prepared –”

“No,” Steve commanded, when he saw Danny glance at Steve and give a subtle shake of his head.

“But –”

Steve shot the man a quick glare. He might be covered in mud and grass, but he was still this man’s commanding officer, and he would not be second-guessed. His focus returned to Danny and the dragon, so he only caught the man’s mouth snap shut out of the corner of his eye.

Exhaling, the dragon’s breath washed over Danny, and if the situation hadn’t been so dangerous, Steve would have laughed as the blond’s eyes blinked against the onslaught, his hand holding his nose. Quickly, the dragon unraveled its large tongue and licked Danny from toes to head, momentarily raising Danny at least a foot off the ground. The dragon then stuck its nose in Danny’s chest, inhaling and causing Danny’s back to bow slightly. Evidently satisfied, it exhaled enough to let Danny regain his footing. Danny said something else to the dragon, and it bowed its head.

Danny smiled, gave the dragon one last pat, and turned toward Steve. He’d only walked a few steps before the dragon gave him a nudge, almost making the man fall. The annoyed expression on Danny’s face almost had Steve laughing. Regaining his footing, Danny strode toward Steve and the soldier. “So, we’re good.”

Steve blinked. “What do you mean?”

“I know what’s going on, and she should be leaving in the next couple of days.”

“She?” The soldier asked.

Steve could tell by Danny’s expression that he’d only just noticed the fully dressed man.

“Yeah,” he said, distracted for a moment before returning his attention to Steve. “It’s what I expected.”

“It’s a woman?”

“She is indeed a female,” Danny said slowly, as if the soldier were a little dense, “hence the ‘she’ I just used to describe her.”

“But how do you know –”

“Okay, I get that you’re all kinds of curious, I really do. But I’m cold, I’m pretty sure the mud is hardening in areas that is going to make it painful to remove, dragon spit is in all kinds of uncomfortable places, and I have a daughter I need to see, so you’re just going to have to wait. Go get some breakfast or something – or even better, find that soldier who thinks it’s a good idea to take a leak right in front of a sleeping dragon and punch him in his head. Can you do that?”

The soldier stuttered a bit, shooting Steve a look.

“Under no circumstances are you to make advances toward the dragon without orders from me,” Steve said firmly. His eyes still large, the solder saluted and scampered away. Steve smiled at the man beside him. “You’re such a people person, Danno; it’s a wonder you’ve only been sequestered in a tower once.”

Danny snorted as he headed back toward the creek bed where they’d left their stuff. “I’ve never been able to abide stupid questions, even when clothed.”

“Abide?” Steve teased.

“Don’t start,” Danny warned.

“Why are you in such a bad mood? You figured out the dragon was a she, and you managed to survive interacting with it. I’m the one who’s entitled to be disgruntled. I’m starting to think that I’m not going to be able to slay or blow it up.”

Danny stopped and glared at Steve. “I’m sorry. Did I miss a dragon licking you from head to toe?”

Steve paused but then took the lead into the jungle, leaving Danny glaring at him. He tried to keep the smile from his voice, but he loved riling the man. “Actually, it was the other direction.”

“You get tongued by a dragon, you can say it however you want.” Danny paused. “That didn’t come out right.”

Steve didn’t even bother to hide his laughter.

“Don’t change the subject. How do you think you’ve remotely earned the right to be upset?”

“I’ve spent months on this whole dragon thing; the thought of eventually blowing it up has been what has kept me going. Now I have nothing,” Steve complained.

“Slaying,” Danny said automatically, hands moving a mile a minute. “And I’m sure you’ll find someone or something else to target in no time.”

“But you can see how this would cause me some disappointment, right?”

“At least you don’t have a load of dragon snot on your ass,” Danny grumbled, making Steve laugh again.

They made it back to their clothes in record time, Steve pulling out soap and washcloths rolled up in the towels. “It’s natural soap, so it won’t harm the environment,” Steve added, ignoring the fact that he was trying to make himself look better in front of his crush.

“Very impressive,” Danny said, taking the soap and one of the washcloths as he waded into thigh-high water.

“So, care to explain?” Steve asked.

“I couldn’t figure out why a dragon would refuse to move, especially with humans constantly pissing it off.” Danny caught Steve’s glare. “Hey, I know they’re your troops and all, but from a dragon’s point of view, they’re like a swarm of bees – they sting and are troublesome, but it would take a lot for them to kill.”

“Unless you’re allergic,” Steve pointed out, earning a glare of his own.

“Because I’m a professional, I’m going to ignore your wiseass comment so I can continue my report.”

“Your report?”

“Yeah,” Danny insisted, “my report. I used to give them all the time back in my officer days, and I’m pretty good at them – when I’m not being interrupted all the damn time.” He dipped his washcloth into the water, rubbing it against the soap to work up a lather, and tossed it to Steve a few feet away. “I came up with two possibilities: one, the dragon was somehow injured and couldn’t leave, or two, the dragon was pregnant. I was leaning toward pregnant, because I know from experience that wounded animals cause way more havoc than this dragon.”

“Learn that from the goat?”

“No, I learned that goats can be a pain in the ass just for kicks. Besides, that goat was dead when I found it, not injured.”

“So you say.”

Danny glared at him. “I’m sorry. I was under the impression that you wanted to know what was going on with the dragon, but obviously, I was mistaken. I’ll shut up now.”

Steve smirked at Danny, trying not to be distracted at the way the man ran the washcloth over his chest, slowly breaking off the mud the dragon hadn’t swiped away and revealing that soft looking hair that Steve just wanted to touch.

Danny rolled his eyes and turned away slightly, but Steve could tell that he was more affected than he was letting on.

Steve took his wet washcloth and raised it above his head, squeezing the water so that it ran through his hair and down his face. He bent back down, soaking the washcloth in the water and repeating, feeling Danny’s gaze on him, making him hard despite all of the mud and grass. He refused to look Danny’s way, pretending nonchalance despite all evidence to the contrary, ignoring the way his breathing had picked up slightly.

Finally, after repeating this a few times in silence, Steve heard a muffled groan and opened his eyes to find Danny turning away, once again showing Steve his incredible ass.

Steve’s control almost snapped right then and there, but he managed to hold on to it. “This is taking way too long. I remember a waterfall just a bit farther down the way; we might be able to hear it if the dragon didn’t breathe so loudly.”

“Let’s go,” Danny said, his voice a little rough. He continued to keep his face averted as he stepped out of the stream.

“Let’s leave the stuff here, though. I don’t want to handle my clothes with muddy hands.”

“Sure,” Danny said.

Grinning to himself, Steve led the way to the waterfall.


	20. Chapter 20

Danny was dying inside, figuratively curling up into the fetal position and dying. How was he supposed to remember why he couldn’t have Steve when the man stood in front of him, water sliding down his body using the same path Danny wanted to take with his hands? He could barely remember what he was talking about much less keep his longings in check. Sure, Steve was muddy and grassy, but he was still Steve, and frankly, the idea of washing him off felt like slowly opening up that one Christmas present under the tree that had been just sitting there, taunting him, for weeks.

And now there was a waterfall? Danny was doomed.

His mind scrambled for something – anything – to keep his mind off of the firm line of Steve’s back, his incredible ass, those long, powerful legs. Squeezing his eyes shut for a moment to regain control, he almost tripped over a tree root, ignoring the smug look Steve shot his way.

They rounded a small curve as the river widened, and Danny could now hear it, the rush of the water, and then he saw it, a beautiful waterfall on the other side of what looked like a small pond.

“How deep is it out there?” He asked.

“What’s wrong, Danno? Can’t swim?”

“I can swim; I just prefer to do it in emergency situations, like if I have to rescue someone. I don’t swim for enjoyment.”

Steve looked at him, shocked. “Seriously?”

“I’ve never lived near a large enough body of water for it to matter that much,” Danny admitted, choosing not to remind Steve that it had been over ten years since it had even been an issue.

“Well, I haven’t been out there, so I don’t know how deep it is, but don’t worry. I’ll save you if you get into trouble.”

“I said I knew how to swim,” Danny insisted, determined now to drown rather than ask Steve for help if for some reason the old adage didn’t apply and swimming wasn’t like riding a bike after all. He took a determined step toward the water, but Steve held out a hand, blocking his path. He stopped short, making sure they didn’t touch. If Steve even so much as brushed past him, Danny wasn’t sure he wouldn’t tackle the man and have his way with him, mud and grass notwithstanding.

“Let me go first.” Evidently Steve was prepared for Danny’s objections, because he added quickly, “This is my land, and I’m more familiar with any kinds of… fish that might be in there.”

Danny didn’t like the idea that he’d have to be familiar with particular kinds of fish in order to be comfortable in the water; what he liked even less was Steve’s pause before use of said word, ‘fish’, as if there were other, only remotely fish-like things out there too. “Be my guest.”

After hiding his sword – Steve called it a knife, but anything longer than from his elbow to the tips of his fingers was a sword as far as Danny was concerned – Steve slowly waded into the water and trudged forward, looking down every so often but not seeming to be worried about anything. The water was barely up to his waist by the time he got to the waterfall and turned around to face Danny. “We’re good.”

Danny had never seen a striptease. He’d heard about them, masturbated to them, dreamt of them, but he’d never really thought he’d ever actually see one in person. And in truth, he still hadn’t seen one. But if they were even half as hot as watching the water slowly sluice down Steve’s powerful body, Danny would never be able to get through one alive. As it was, his heart was pounding so hard that he only knew Steve had talked because he’d watched the man’s mouth move.

Steve stared at him in silence, his eyes drilling into Danny’s, and Danny felt as if he could see all of the thoughts running through his head, all of the pure want that made his blood so hot that he felt like he was burning up from the inside. And all Danny could do was stand there and stare at Steve, so close but yet too far, since Danny couldn’t seem to make himself move. He wanted to say something, but his breath was coming out in pants. It was just as well, because he didn’t think anything he said would make any sense anyway.

“You’d have to wait until I was already out here –” Steve said, cutting off the thought as he waded back to shore, a dangerous grin on his face. He stopped a few feet in front of Danny and held out his hand.

Danny’s eyes moved from the hand back to Steve’s eyes, and he understood. Part of him just wanted Steve to reach out and take what they both wanted, but he knew that he had to meet Steve partway, to acknowledge that he wanted this just as much. Unfortunately, he still hadn’t regained control of his body.

He saw Steve’s smile start to fade, and he realized that there was no way he could reject Steve like that, make him think that Danny didn’t want him in the worst way. So using everything he had, he reached out, grabbed hold of Steve, and gave himself permission to just feel and be and enjoy, if only for one last time.

Steve pulled him into the water and continued to pull until Danny’s face was pressed against his chest. Danny didn’t mind, but he couldn’t resist saying, “Your muddy chest isn’t the most comfortable thing I’ve ever laid my head against, you know.” He felt Steve’s huff of laughter as the man pulled away, his hand still in Danny’s, and led him deeper into the water.

In no time at all they were underneath the waterfall, and Steve turned Danny away from him. Danny felt nothing but the water for a second until Steve’s fingers ran though his hair, gently detangling the knots, pulling out the twigs. Danny closed his eyes and allowed himself to get lost in the sensation, the scalp massage, the magic of Steve’s fingers. Eventually, Steve worked his way down to Danny’s shoulders, and Danny couldn’t suppress the sigh that escaped him as he relaxed under Steve’s ministrations. He wasn’t aware he’d groaned until Steve spoke, smile evident in his voice.

“Feel good?”

“Mmm,” Danny agreed, focusing on Steve’s hands pressing against his back, slowly lowering until they hit his lower back, just above the curve of his butt. They took their time, the palms of his hands pressing in slow circles, easing out what little tension remained in his body. “You keep doing that, and you’re going to have to hold me up.”

Steve chuckled, his breath warm against Danny’s neck, and suddenly Danny couldn’t wait anymore. He turned and rose to his toes, his hand against the back of Steve’s head as he fused their lips together. 

And it all disappeared – the haze from the dragon, the rush from the waterfall – everything except for Steve, Steve’s hands pressing against his sides, running through his chest hair, tweaking his nipple, causing Danny to moan into Steve’s mouth.

Feeling a little left out, Danny’s hands began to explore, trailing down the front of Steve’s body to wrap around and squeeze and twist just enough for Steve’s turn to moan, “Danny, Danny, Danny,” before Steve found Danny’s mouth again.

Running his free hand along the back of Steve’s neck, Danny slightly lost his balance, his mouth tearing away from Steve’s. “This isn’t going to work; you’re like a fucking giraffe,” he complained even as his mouth sought Steve’s again, their smiles fading with each passing second. Danny took his hand off Steve, ignoring the man’s disappointed groan, and shifted, Steve’s erection pressing against his stomach. He shifted again, slightly rocking from side to side. He might not be able to get them both off at the same time, but he was focused on Steve, the hitch in Steve’s breath with the friction. Steve’s mouth pressed against the side of Danny’s face, panting in Danny’s ear. It was one of the most erotic sounds Danny had ever heard. Realizing that Steve needed a little more of a push, Danny slid to his knees.

“Danny,” Steve whispered, his voice almost lost in the sound of falling water.

Gazing at Steve, Danny opened his mouth and took Steve in with one slow, deep slurp. Using one hand to cup Steve’s balls, Danny began bobbing his head, his eyes focused on Steve’s flushed face, watching Steve’s eyes flutter closed, his mouth open as he panted. Humming softly, Danny watched Steve come apart, reveling in the knowledge that he had done this, he’d taken Steve over the edge, and when Steve came with a shout, Danny swallowed everything, milking Steve until he was dry.

“Danny,” Steve said, bending down and pulling Danny up with him, his turn to wrap his hand over Danny.

Danny’s head fell on Steve’s chest, barely noticing the rise and fall of Steve’s breaths as he felt the pull and tug of Steve’s hand on him. He couldn’t stop himself from grinding up against Steve’s hand, his turn to pant and groan until he fell himself shatter. He wasn’t sure how long it was before he gathered the energy to raise his head and smile up at Steve, who was grinning down at him, a happy, sleepy smile that made Danny heart soar.

“So, what’d we do with the soap?”


	21. Chapter 21

They did finally get around to washing and dressing themselves and strolled back to the campsite. Danny was uncharacteristically quiet, but Steve wasn’t worried. The slow, sly smiles Danny kept sliding his way had Steve ‘accidentally’ bumping into Danny every few steps until Danny grabbed his hand, twining their fingers. Steve felt like a teenager, excited to be with Danny, the sun brighter, the dragon-induced haze less of a hindrance and more of a mood enhancer.

Things got crazy the moment they stepped into the clearing.

“You’re back!” Grace shouted, the first one to notice them. She ran up to Danny, jumping into the air so he could catch her and swing her around. “She’s here,” Grace muttered, her eyes rolling as her head jerked slightly to the left.

Steve looked over and found the princess sitting calmly at a table drinking tea, staring in their direction. “How long’s she been here?”

“A little less than an hour,” Chin said quietly, appearing beside him.

Disappointment ran through his body as reality whipped through him, his brief lethargy disappearing behind the same tension he felt in the man beside him, the same man he’d had on his knees earlier that morning.

“C’mon, Monkey,” Danny said quietly, his arms wrapped around his daughter.

Steve turned to look at Danny, wanting to feel that connection one more time, but Danny buried his face in Grace’s hair as he turned away.

“What does she know?” Steve asked Chin as he slowly started to walk toward the princess.

“I told her advisor that you were scouting a safe route to take her to the dragon, her safety utmost in your mind.” Steve could feel Chin’s eyes cut toward him. “Since you didn’t tell me where you were going, I wasn’t prepared to answer a whole lot of questions.”

The censure wasn’t really difficult to detect, and Steve knew he deserved it. “We’ll talk later,” he promised Chin just before he reached the princess.

“Your Highness,” Steve said, sitting in the empty chair. “I didn’t expect you so early.”

The princess looked at him speculatively for a moment before smiling at him. “I thought I would surprise you, and we could have breakfast together here.”

“It is definitely a surprise – a good one,” he said. “And I have good news. We’ve figured out what’s going on with the dragon, and she should be leaving in the next few days.”

“Then my presence wasn’t necessary,” she said, her eyes flickering briefly to the direction where Danny and Grace had disappeared before returning to Steve’s.

“I’m sorry I brought you all this way for nothing.”

“I’m not. I was able to see more of your beautiful country and had the pleasure of getting to know you better.” She smiled, pressing her hand against his on his thigh. It was by far the most intimate touch that they had shared.

And he felt nothing.


	22. Chapter 22

Danny tried to block out the image of Steve walking toward the princess and focused on his daughter, who pushed back in his arms so she could look him in the eyes. “Did you learn more about the dragon?”

“I did,” Danny said. “Turns out, she’s a girl dragon.”

Grace’s eyes widened. “Really? Can I see her?”

Danny was already shaking his head. “Just because she’s a girl dragon doesn’t mean she doesn’t still breathe fire, and the last thing I need is a daughter with her hair and eyebrows singed off. Your mother and grandfather would put me in another tower.” And Steve wouldn’t rescue me this time, he thought before shoving the loss down deep.

Grace giggled, patting his chest. “You’re not damp this time.”

“I brought towels,” he said. “No one can say that I don’t learn from my mistakes.”

“Speaking of which, have you had breakfast yet?”

“Dam – Darn it, Kono! I almost dropped Gracie!” Danny slowly put his daughter down and turned to the woman who’d almost stopped his heart. “A bell. Couldn’t you wear a bell or something?”

“Nope,” Kono said, tugging a little on one of Grace’s pigtails. “Have you had breakfast yet?”

“I’m really not –”

“Because Grace and I know how bad you are at eating right, don’t we?”

Grace gave Danny one of those I’m-worried-about-you looks that made him feel all kinds of shitty. He glared at Kono, who gave him a big, faux-innocent grin, and sighed. “Lead on, Monkey.” Grace dashed toward JennaKaye’s wagon, and Danny leaned closer toward Kono as they walked at a more sedate pace. “That was a low blow.”

Bumping him with her shoulder, she said, “You need to take care of yourself. It’s been a long time since you were out on your own; there’s no shame in letting your friends help you.”

Danny allowed Kono’s words to wash over him, support him in a way that he hadn’t felt in so long. It helped soften some of the pain he felt as he caught Steve and the princess eating breakfast out of the corner of his eye. Kono took his arm, hugging it to her, and he smiled at her. He supposed he’d gotten more out of this adventure than he’d ever really expected. He knew he wasn’t going to get his guy, but at least he gained some friends, and that was something.

It just wasn’t enough.

 

“So what did you learn about the dragon?” The princess asked, pouring tea for Steve.

Thanking her, Steve tried to remember what Danny had been telling him. At the time, he’d been focused on muddy Danny, dragging that washcloth over his chest, and he hadn’t really been paying that much attention. And then somehow they just never got back to the dragon on the walk back, which kind of surprised him considering that pretty much all he’d been doing the past few weeks was think about that damn thing.

“She’s pregnant.” He vaguely recalled Danny saying that she was either hurt or pregnant, and Steve decided to make an educated guess that since Danny decided she was female, she was pregnant.

“Does that mean you’re going to have to blow her and the babies up, or will you do it now before she has them?” She said it so calmly, taking a bite of her eggs.

“It’s slay, actually,” Steve said, a little dismayed at her calm acceptance of the dragon’s death. Never mind that he’d spent all this time thinking of inventing ways of killing her himself. He supposed that Danny was rubbing off on him a little bit. The thought made his mind wander a dirty path for a moment, and he had to quietly adjust the napkin on his lap.

“I don’t understand,” the princess said, her voice a little cross. “You always talk about blowing it up, but you correct me when I say it.”

Steve didn’t know how to explain an inside joke to someone who wasn’t in on it. Even if she understood it, she wouldn’t find it amusing, and if anything, she’d probably feel a little excluded.

“Excuse me, your highness,” Chin said, Althor on his arm. “We have an emergency dispatch from the castle.”

Managing to hide his relief, Steve stood. “Please excuse me for a moment.”

The princess smiled politely. “I hope the king and queen are in good health.”

Acknowledging her words with a nod, Steve walked with Chin into Steve’s tent. “Please tell me that you just made that up to save my ass.”

“That would be inexcusable.” Chin’s smile belied his words.

Nodding toward Althor, Steve said, “That was a nice touch.”

“It’s all in the details.”

“After breakfast I want everyone here so Danny can read us all in on what he’s learned.”

“You’ll still have to escort the princess and her retinue back to the inn.”

Steve groaned. There went the rest of the morning and most of the afternoon. And then there were the days he’d waste escorting her back to the castle. Rubbing the back of his neck, he stared at his friend as an idea began to form. “Maybe I can convince her that I need to stay here in order to take care of this. After all, she has twelve of her own guards, right? In the meantime, I need to you to look into something for me…”

It was early afternoon when Steve managed to sit down with everyone – the princess had agreed that Steve needed to stay in the camp and take care of this whole dragon business; unfortunately, she decided to remain close for moral support. He’d gotten Kono and JennaKaye to fashion a more than adequate tent; however, he didn’t want her so comfortable that she would choose to alter her habit of staying in the inn.

He looked around the table at his three generals, his five lieutenants, Kono, and Chin. “Where’s Danny?”

“I’m here,” Danny said, striding into the large tent with papers in one hand and Grace’s hand in his other. He stopped just inside the entrance and kneeled in front of his daughter. “I need you to stay here with JennaKaye while I do this thing, okay?”

Grace looked at JennaKaye, who smiled at her from just inside the tent. She leaned up to her dad’s ear and whispered something to him.

“I promise,” he said, tapping at her nose before standing and walking further into the room.

“That’s the guy,” one of the lieutenants whispered loudly.

Danny walked around the table and got a look at the man. He raised a challenging eyebrow, waiting until the man lowered his eyes.

Swallowing a smile, Steve said, “This is DannyWilliams from Jersey. After some careful research, he’s uncovered some facts about the dragon that we’ll all find helpful. Danny.”

Standing beside Steve, Danny managed to toss a small smile his way without looking him in the eyes before setting down his papers. “Once I determined what type of dragon she was, it was easy to figure out the rest. She’s only going to be here for a few more days, just until she gives birth. After which, she’ll call for her mate, and they’ll fly away, babies in tow. She didn’t mean go into labor here; I think she miscalculated, didn’t realize that being pregnant was going to tire her out so quickly, and she just couldn’t make it to the blue mountains.” Danny shrugged like it happened all the time.

“Great,” the lieutenant muttered. “We’re going to have to deal with more of them.”

Danny leaned on the table and stared at the man. “How did you climb this far in the ranks when you don’t listen? She and the babies will be leaving within the next couple of days.”

“But what about the lives that have been lost? What if she returns when those babies are grown up?” The men at the table began muttering to each other.

Danny rolled his eyes. “I’m sorry. I figured that since all of you have been here with your thumbs up your asses – sorry Gracie – for weeks, and you didn’t even manage to figure out that she was female, or even pregnant, that you would listen to someone who, I don’t know, maybe knows more about this than you do?”

Steve shot a glance at Kono and Chin, who were also hiding their smiles behind their hands, as the tent grew silent.

“What I know,” one of the other lieutenants spoke, “is that they weren’t your people, your family or friends.”

“I’m sorry for your loss, I really am,” Danny said, “but antagonizing her won’t bring anyone back. Have you ever dealt with a momma defending her babies? That’s what you have here. She didn’t come to kill anyone. She was just trying to protect her children. I know I’d kill anyone who tried to mess with my child –” he gestured toward Grace, who waved and smiled, “and I’m just the dad.”

A dad who would do anything for his daughter, Steve thought, watching the love shine between the two.


	23. Chapter 23

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm posting three chapters instead of my customary two today, because they're just so short this go 'round.

“Besides, even if you do manage to kill her and the babies, it will only bring down the wrath of her mate on you, and that, my daft friend, is not something you want. You think she’s a menace now? Try dealing with a dragon in mourning. We’re talking a massacre of epic proportions, and I’m telling you, there is nothing you have going on right now that would protect anyone within a fifty to seventy five mile radius.”

Steve cleared his throat, and everyone – except Danny – looked at him. “We’re going to wait a few days for the dragon to have her babies and for her to leave. Until further notice, everyone will stand down, and we will remain here in a purely observational capacity. Under no circumstances are we to engage with the dragon, and we are to stay far away from her. Make sure each of your men know that I don’t want anyone to disturb her. No one messes with the dragon unless ordered directly by me. Understand?” He leveled a look at all of his lieutenants, waiting until he was certain they all understood. “Dismissed.” The men saluted and filed out of the table, and Steve sat back, relaxing. It had been the shortest and least stressful meeting he’d had since the dragon’s arrival.

He pretended not to notice that Danny hadn’t looked at him once the entire time.

 

Danny gathered up his papers, trying not to focus on the man seated right next to him. Now that the meeting was over and the dragon safe, his job here was finished. He needed to leave and start getting on with his life, one without Steve, and the sooner the better. Staying around the man wasn’t going to make leaving any easier, and the last thing he needed was to watch Steve and the princess chat over tea and biscuits again, or do whatever royals did while courting. No, it would be better if he just cut ties completely.

He walked over to JennaKaye, giving her a distracted smile of thanks before taking Grace’s hand. “So why don’t we get out of Steve and Kono and Chin’s way so they can continue doing whatever it is that they do?”

“Bye, guys,” Grace said, waving at them with her free hand. She was quiet for a few seconds as they waved back and she and her dad left the tent. “Danno, can I go see the dragon before she leaves? I promise, I’ll stay far away, just like the soldiers.”

Danny ran a hand through his hair. He really didn’t think that the dragon was any danger, as long as she was left alone, but he couldn’t risk Grace’s safety. “Monkey, I’m sorry, but it’s too dangerous. You might end up hurt, and that would break my heart – right before your mother broke my head.”

Grace giggled.

“Besides, our work here is done. Now I need to figure out what to do next.” He looked around at the woods and suppressed the panic he felt fluttering in his chest. He’d make do; he always did. Besides, he had the strongest incentive standing right in front of him, he thought, smiling down at his angel.

“Where’re we going to go?” She asked.

Scratching at his cheek, Danny said, “I guess the first thing to do is to return to Jersey.”

“Now?”

As much as he wanted to leave right that minute, he knew it wasn’t practical. “We’re not prepared. I need to find a map, gather provisions…” His mind started to whirl. Having always lived either in the village where he was raised or in the tower, he hadn't had to travel more than a few hours until his most recent trip to Steve's castle, and he'd never done it alone. He knew Grace would return home the next day, and he wouldn’t have to worry about her safety. “How about we stay here tonight. Tomorrow, you’ll go home, and the next time I see you, I’ll have something sorted out.”

Grace must have sensed some of his confusion, because she hugged his legs tightly. “I love you, Danno.”

Danny knelt down and hugged her back, closing his eyes and focusing on his angel. “Danno loves you too, baby.”

 

Steve stood at the tent opening and watched Danny talk to his daughter. He never got tired of seeing them together, the love between them so strong.

“What do you think he’ll do now?” Kono asked, appearing beside him. “I mean, his job here’s done.”

“Remember what he told us,” Chin said, stepping beside her.

Steve glanced at them. “What’d he say?”

“He said he’d return to Jersey and find… what was it?”

“A little hole in the wall,” Kono reminded him.

“Right. A little hole in the wall where he’d try to live as happily as he could. He said he’d try to get back into the constabulary.”

“I bet he’s good at that,” Kono said.

“When he’s not pissing someone off,” Chin added with a grin.

“And when is he not pissing someone off?” Steve asked, grinning himself.

“When he’s researching dragons and gathering intel,” JennaKaye said. “He’s really patient and thorough.”

Steve watched Danny and Grace come to some sort of agreement and walk away, rubbing absently at the pang in his chest. He wanted nothing more than to catch up to them and take Grace’s other hand. He could see them swinging Grace between them, watching her laugh as her feet flew in front of her. He could see them as a family.

“Your Highness.” He turned his head and found the princess standing beside him. “If you’ve finished your business?”

“Yes,” he said, holding out his hand, allowing her to rest hers on top.

“Then you’re all mine for the afternoon.”

He thanked his training when his smile didn’t seem to falter.

Later that day, as he rode with the princess and her retinue through the forest, he caught a glimpse of Danny and Grace playing in the stream, and he had to forcibly tamp down the longing to ride over and spend the day with them. He turned his attention to the princess, who was staring at the river, thoughtful look on her face. Steve quickly led her down a path leading in the opposite direction, pointing out a rare flower along the way.


	24. Chapter 24

Danny always loved the times he spent with his daughter, and this was made better by the fact that they had the freedom to be outside. They’d decided to spend the day fishing, but they ended up just playing in the water until they were both drenched. They returned to the camp to change clothes and have lunch – Danny was determined to do better in that area – before he made her take a short nap.

At loose ends and wanting to keep busy, he sauntered up to JennaKaye. “I don’t suppose you have some maps on you that could help me get home.”

JennaKaye looked at him, her large eyes sad.

“Don’t give me that look,” he said, backing away. “I have to go.”

“I know, but… couldn’t you stay?”

Danny blinked at her.

“I mean, do you really have to go?”

Danny sighed. “Yeah, I really do. I don’t belong here. I don’t have family or history.”

“You have us.”

Danny touched JennaKaye’s shoulder. “I appreciate everything you’ve done for me. You’re a true friend, and I promise, I’ll let you know where I end up. If you ever need me, you only have to send a message.”

“At least let me gather some things for you, food and clothing.”

Danny groaned.

“Think of it was payment for services rendered,” Kono said, appearing from the side of the wagon.

Danny grabbed for his heart. “That – that whole appearing out of nowhere thing? That I won’t miss at all.”

Kono grinned at him before looking him up and down. “We’ll get you a vest, some nice, soft breeches –”

“A what? Some – No, no thank you. You want to help? Keep that stuff. Just a button down shirt, slacks, and a tie. Oh, and shoes and socks would be nice.”

Kono arched an eyebrow and looked him over again. “So you like to let it all hang loose, brah?”

Danny crossed his arms over his waist. “Stop looking at me like that. You’re making me feel dirty. And I figured that undergarments would just be a given.” He rolled his eyes. “Of course, I forgot you’ve been hanging out with Steve, the uncouth bastard.”

JennaKaye had taken the time to root inside her wagon and handed Danny a rolled parchment. “Here’s a map. It’s current with all the new roads.” Danny unrolled it slightly to take a look. “The roads are color coded.” She pointed. “Blue for the safer roads, pink for the more dangerous…” Her face turned pinker than the roads she’d colored.

“Thank you, really,” Danny said, touching a hand to his chest. It had been a long time since anyone other than Grace had cared about him, and while it felt a little strange, he appreciated the warmth. “I’m gonna sit down, figure out a route back.” He smiled at the ladies and headed back toward the tent Steve had used as his impromptu war room.

“… saw her heading that way, toward the dragon.”

“And you say she was alone?”

Danny was looking at the map, trying to find Jersey and didn’t pay much attention to the conversation until he recognized the princess’ voice. He stopped, not wanting to intrude on a private conversation; although, he thought, there were plenty of other places around to go if they didn’t want to be overheard.

“Completely alone.”

“Where is her father?”

At this, Danny frowned. As far as he knew, he was the only one with a child around, but Gracie was asleep in their tent.

“I don’t know. I just know that he’s not with her.”

“For some reason, his highness is enamored with her. You and I are going to go rescue her from the dragon, maybe after it singes her a little, and he’ll be properly… grateful.” She didn’t even bother to hide her smug tone.

One of the reasons Danny was such a good lawman was his ability to remain calm in dire situations, to think through options quickly and come up with the best plan of action. All of that disappeared when his daughter was involved.

He walked around the corner and grabbed the princess’ arm, ignoring her shriek of outrage. “You stay away from my daughter. I don’t believe in hitting a woman, but so help me, I will feed your ass to that dragon and not shed a tear.”

“Get your hands off me!” The princess yelled, teeth clenched.

“Gladly.” Danny pushed her away and headed for the road to go get his baby. He was so focused on his daughter that he never even sensed the person who knocked him out from behind.


	25. Chapter 25

Danny woke suddenly with a gasp and a sharp ache to the back of his head, Grace the first thought in his mind. Ignoring the double vision, he tried to stand and found he was chained to the back of one of the princess’ wagons. “Bitch,” he growled, pulling ineffectively at his arm. Squinting, he leaned down to get a closer look, catching himself with his other arm as he almost lost his balance.

He’d seen these ties before – hell, he’d used them himself before to subdue thieves until one had actually broken his hand and gotten fr… Without sparing a thought, Danny rammed his hand hard against the back of the wagon, trying hard not to vomit or once again lose consciousness. After a few seconds, he managed to pull his broken hand free – and if anyone asked, he did not, absolutely did not groan like a scared schoolgirl – and used the wagon to pull himself upright. The entire time, his mind chanted “save Gracie, save Gracie” in time to his heartbeat and the pounding in his head. He pressed his forehead against the wagon’s cloth covering and tried to think over the competing pains emanating from his head and his hand. The whinny came at the perfect time.

Staggering over to the corral, he pulled himself up on the first horse he could find. It took more time than he wanted, but a busted head and hand tended to slow a guy down. Grabbing hold of the horse’s mane with his good hand, he kicked with his heels and pressed his head against its neck, squinting so he could see enough to go the right direction.

In no time at all, he was racing past the soldiers’ tents and managed to slow the horse down before actually running into the dragon. Unfortunately, his tenuous grasp on the mane didn’t help his control, and he flew over the horse’s head to land in the dirt. On the hard ground. Where breathing had suddenly become a lot more difficult. Wheezing, he stood, trying to keep his balance and survey his surroundings, his head injury showing him double of everything.

After a few seconds, he realized that both of the dragons he saw were standing over his daughter’s prone bodies, a foot – paw? – placed over her so she couldn’t move. It took him a moment to try to figure out which one was real, and he stumbled toward her, “Grace…” he whispered.

Grace lifted her head and looked at her father with a dirty face. “Danno, she’s not gonna hurt me.”

“Just stay still.” Danny pressed a hand against his head, trying to pull up all of the information he’d learned about the dragon despite the ferocious pounding.

“I’m sorry, Danno,” Grace said. “I promise I didn’t get too close, but she smelled and sucked me to her nose.”

Danny remembered from firsthand experience how strong the dragon’s… suddenly it all came back to him. “Monkey, it’s okay. You’re right. I don’t think she’s going to hurt you.” His heartbeat started to slow as he made himself stand straight and concentrate on quickly putting together a plan.

“I have this,” the princess said, walking over to him and staring him malevolently in the eye. “And when I’m finished, I will see you drawn and quartered for daring to touch me!”

“Like that’s the first time anyone’s ever used that threat with me,” Danny growled.

“Danny!”

Danny turned to watch Steve, Kono, and Chin ride up on their horses, JennaKaye seated with Kono, her arms wrapped around the mage’s waist. Steve didn’t even wait for his horse to stop before he jumped off and headed toward them. “Danny, step away from the princess.”

Danny couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “You come riding up in here, my daughter under the paw of a dragon, and the first thing you say is ‘step away from the princess’? Really?”

“Danno –“

“No!” Danny shouted, anger and disappointment and pain merging together inside him. “You don’t get to call me that!”

The princess had used the time to summon some of her guards, and they grabbed Danny, one holding his arms from the back, the other punching him in the stomach so hard that his knees buckled, and he ended up throwing up all over the man’s boots. Distractedly, he thought that was what the guy deserved, sucker punching a man like that. Danny thought he heard Steve shout something over his heaving, but he didn’t really care about that right now. He knew he had to focus on what was most important, and that was – and always would be – Grace. Taking a moment to make sure he’d finished puking, he prepared himself and rammed his head back into the face of the guy holding his arms. He fought through the black spots and turned, knocking the guy out with an uppercut. It only took him a few staggering steps to turn around, expecting the other guy, mister vomit shoes, to come at him, but he came face to face with a grinning Kono, who’d already taken care of the man with what looked like was one tough punch.

“Got your back, brah,” she said.

He smiled his thanks and turned to find the princess walking toward the dragon. “Just when I think I couldn’t hate her any more, she goes and does something that might get my baby killed.”

“Want me to take her out for you?”

“No sense in both of us being put to death,” Danny muttered, stumbling toward the dragon. “Hey there, remember me?” He used his soft sing-songy voice reserved for soothing children in the middle of the night – and, evidently, dragons holding his daughter under their foot. The dragon turned to face him, her inhalation sliding him a few feet toward her.

“No, dragon! Look at me!” The princess waved her hands over her head, capturing the dragon’s attention and making Danny grind his teeth. He didn’t want to upset the dragon by confusing her, so he remained silent, just knowing that it wasn’t going to go well. “I command you to let her go!”

Danny turned a little toward Kono, raising his arms and shoulders in a what-the-hell? motion, receiving an eye roll and a sigh back. From both Konos.

The dragon clearly wasn’t loving the princess either. Danny watched her gather her breath, and time seemed to slow down. He ran, pitching himself at the princess just as the dragon blew fire her way. He managed to knock her to safety, placing himself over her for protection, feeling the fire burn his back.

“Get off me, you oaf!” The princess railed, smacking at Danny as he rolled off her with a groan. She clamored to her feet, glaring down at him. “Your highness, I want this man taken and killed immediately!”

Danny didn’t even bother looking at Steve. Gathering his energy, he stood and faced the dragon once again. “Ignore her. She annoys me too. But this one –” he pointed toward Grace with both of his hands, the broken one curled and aching. “this one is mine. She’s mine.” He wanted to beg, to yell at the dragon to let his baby go, but he knew that would only get her killed.

The dragon looked behind herself for a moment, then back at Danny, licking Grace from feet to head, just like she’d done Danny.

“Ewww,” Grace muttered quietly, making Danny smile despite the seriousness of the situation.

The dragon looked behind her for a moment, then stepped back, gently taking her foot off of Grace.

“C’mere, Monkey,” Danny whispered, swallowing a groan as he dropped awkwardly to his knees and held out his arms.

Grace scuttled back a few feet, turned onto her hands and knees, and quickly crawled into Danny’s arms.

Suddenly Danny’s back and ribs no longer ached, his head and hand stopped throbbing; his daughter was safe in his arms, and that was all that mattered. He rocked her back and forth until the darkness swallowed him.

 

Steve was never one for indecision, leaning toward action rather than holding back. But this time, he didn’t spring into action until Danny fell sideways, his arms still around his daughter. As much as he wanted to run over to Danny, he knew he first had to deal with the princess first. “Chin –”

“We’re on it, Boss.”

Steve walked over to the princess, who was surrounded by her retinue, all of whom were tuttering over what’d happened. She broke off from them as she caught Steve’s eye. “Your Highness, that… that commoner has accosted me on more than one occasion, speaking to me and,” she swallowed, “touching me.”

Steve eyeballed her. “You look fine. Nothing a little dusting off won’t cure.”

Her mouth dropped open. “But he – ”

“He saved your life? Yes, I saw that. I’m not sure what happened to lead up to this moment, but I know Danny, and I can tell you that there is no way he’d put his daughter in harm’s way.”

“She snuck up here on her own. I didn’t force her.”

“So who did you tell when you saw her sneaking away?” Steve was starting to form a picture of what had transpired, the image solidifying when he saw the princess look guiltily at Grace, who was crying, trying to wake up her father.

“She’s a princess,” the princess said.

“She’s also a little girl!” Steve growled. He took a deep breath, calming himself. He ran a hand through his hair, a gesture his tutors thought they had trained him out of many years ago. “Your Highness, it was a pleasure to meet you, but… but I choose Danny.”

“I knew it! From the first time I saw you two looking at each other, I knew it! But he’s a commoner! He’s not worthy – ”

Steve stepped directly in front of her, causing her retinue to gasp. “Danny is one of the best men I know, and I won’t have you maligning him. Perhaps it’s time for you to return to Enterprise.”

“But it’s too long a journey for us to go without an escort,” the princess protested.

“Your Highness,” JennaKaye whispered, handing him a rolled parchment before fading away as quickly as she’d appeared.

Handing the parchment to the princess, Steve said, “You managed to make it to the castle unescorted – and uninvited,” he couldn’t help but remind her, “but here is a safe, short route to your lands from here. You won’t even have to go out of your way to return to the castle.” He paused a moment to enjoy her surprise, knowing she was really going to be pissed off when she realized that he’d obviously planned this in advance of this whole debacle. “I’ll give the king and queen your regards.” Turning away from her, he moved the few feet to Danny and dropped to his knees beside Kono and across from Chin and Grace. “How is he?”

“He has the bad burn on his back,” Kono said.

“Broken hand, cracked ribs,” Chin added. “He might have a concussion.”

“Wake up, Danno,” Grace whispered, tears running down her cheeks.

“Grace,” Steve said, gesturing to her, watching her reluctantly rise and walk around Danny to him. He wrapped his arms around her. “Danno’s going to be just fine. Kono, Chin, JennaKaye, and I will take care of him.”

“Promise?” She asked.

“I promise.”

“Oh no,” she wailed suddenly.

“What’s wrong?” Steve held her away from him, looking her over to see where she was hurt.

“It’s time for me to go back!”

“But don’t you have one more day?”

“I do, but – I’m going home. I can feel it. Tell Danno I love him.”

Steve took her hands. “I’ll take care of him. I promise.” He wasn’t prepared when Grace threw her arms around his neck and kissed him on the cheek.

And then she was gone.

 

Danny regained consciousness slowly, feeling a familiar rocking. “Damnit, I’m in the wagon again.” His voice was rough, his throat dry. It didn’t help that he was lying on his stomach, his face against what felt like a really soft pillow. Gripping both sides of the bed – or cot or whatever – he tried to pull himself up, but the unexpected pain in his hand and throbbing in his back had him falling back onto the cot.

He thought back. He remembered the recon he and Steve had done, his face going warm at the – wait. Grace. Where was Grace? Biting back the pain, he forced himself to a seated position, trying not to give in to the black spots he saw. A few seconds later, he had another problem and crawled to the back of the wagon just in time to throw up into an empty bucket. There wasn’t much left, just a bit of acid, but his throat burned afterwards. He needed to find Grace. Still on his hands and knees, he crawled toward the flap in the front of the wagon. He wasn’t sure how long it took him, but he was sweaty and shaking by the time he pulled open the flap. “Where’s Grace?” He managed to croak, blinking his eyes as the sweat dripped into them.

“You scared me!” JennaKaye said, her slight jerk altering the horses’ path, making Danny balance with his bad hand.

Closing his eyes, he tried to bite back the groan, tried to breathe through the pain.

“Danny!”

He couldn’t open his eyes, not yet. “Gracie,” he muttered, trying to remain conscious.

“She’s okay. She went back home.”

“Not – hurt?”

“No, she’s fine.”

Smiling, Danny allowed himself to be swept back under.

 

Riding behind the wagon, Steve noticed when it swerved slightly, and he looked at Kono, who nodded and galloped to the front to make sure everything was okay.

He hadn’t wanted to let go of Danny, but Chin had gotten the army doctor, who had bandaged him up to the best of his abilities with the materials and medicines he had available in the field. After handling everything as fast as he could, Steve loaded Danny into the wagon, and they set out for the castle and the royal doctor with all of his equipment and potions at his fingertips.

The wagon slowed, and Kono rode back. “Danny woke up.”

Steve was off Goliath in an instant, hopping into the wagon to see JennaKaye in the front holding on to Danny’s unconscious body so he wouldn’t fall off. She looked up. “He passed out.”

Gently, Steve turned him over, picking him up. Because he had to walk in a crouch, he felt slow and awkward, but he managed to gently lower Danny into the cot. He put his hand on Danny’s forehead and frowned at the warmth. “He has a fever.” He looked at JennaKaye. “Do you have anything for that?”

“I could make a tea, but he’d have to be able to drink it.”

Steve paused for a moment, debating over stopping for the tea or pushing forward. Danny’s feverous moan made up his mind. “Let’s stop. Make the tea.”

He pushed out of the wagon and looked up at Kono. “We need somewhere close to stop for the night.”

“There’s a place less than five minutes away,” she said, riding forward to speak with JennaKaye.

“How’s Danny?” Chin asked, handing Steve Goliath’s reins.

Mounting his horse, Steve said, “He has a fever; JennaKaye’s going to whip up one of her teas.”

As promised, they arrived at a small clearing by a river in short time, the first order of business starting a fire and making Danny comfortable. Kono took over JenaKaye’s duties so the young woman could focus on making Danny’s tea.

Steve sat, putting Danny between his legs and resting the man’s sore back gently against his chest, wiping his forehead with a damp cloth. Seeing him so quiet and still, his arms still by his side, was so unnatural. Steve kept willing him to open his eyes, if only for a moment, so he knew that Steve was with him.

Steve hadn’t missed the look of betrayal Danny had shot him, the last glance he’d gotten from the man who’d come to mean so much to him. He needed to explain what he couldn’t at the time, that he’d wanted to take care of the princess himself, that Danny needed to keep his focus on Grace and the dragon. Now, in hindsight, he could put himself into Danny’s position and knew that it looked like he’d taken the princess’ side, that once again Danny was second place.

What he wouldn’t give for one of Danny’s rants right about now.

He took the tea JennaKaye handed him, wrinkling his nose at the smell. He placed the mug at Danny’s lips, tilting it slightly so that a little of the liquid spilled onto Danny’s lips, trickling down the sides of his face. “Come on, Danno, drink.” He gently pushed down on Danny’s chin, just enough to open Danny’s mouth. “No choking, now,” he said, tilting the cup again. This time, Danny’s reflexes kicked in, and he swallowed, moaning slightly and turning his head away. “If it tastes anything like it smells, I know this isn’t fun at all. But I need you to drink it all.” He paused, watching the adams apple bob. “I need you,” he whispered, closing his eyes for a moment. He opened them up a few seconds later to see two confused eyes staring up at him. His heart began to pound. “Danno…”

Danny focused on him. “Gracie?” His voice rasped.

“She’s fine. She’s home now with her mom.”

“Not… hurt?”

“No, she’s fine. I promise. I also promised her that we’d take care of you.”

Danny’s brow furrowed. “Wha’appen?”

“It’s a long story. Let’s just say that those dragon eggs finally hatched, and half the babies crawled on their mother’s back, the other half on their father’s, before she flew off to the Blue Mountains. The army’s on its way back home, and so are we.”

“I ‘member…” Danny raised his broken hand to rub against his head, but Steve grabbed it. Danny stared at the bandage, and Steve could tell when it all came back to him. Jerking, Danny’s attention shot back to Steve, his eyes resigned. “Princess okay?”

“She’s fine and on her way back to Enterprise.”

“Didn’t wanna stay’n watch?”

“Watch what?”

“M’xcution,” Danny slurred. “P’n’lty for what I did, right?”

Steve leaned close so Danny could really look him in the eyes. “No, Danno. You were only protecting Grace.”

“No matter – ”

Steve sat down the mug beside him and put his hands on Danny’s cheeks. “It does matter. You matter. To me, and I’m not letting you go. Do you hear me? I choose you.”

“But your parents – ”

Steve couldn’t stop the wince. “That’s not going to be a fun conversation, but it’s one I’m going to have. You might as well get used to the fact that you’re stuck with me from now on.”

“I get no choice in ma’er?” Danny wheezed behind his smile.

“None whatsoever,” Steve said, smiling back.

“Y’r not boss of me.”

“You keep telling yourself that.”

Danny paused, catching his breath, and Steve used the time to get a little more tea in him. After he swallowed, Danny grabbed Steve’s wrist with his good hand. “You said… you choose me?”

“I do, Danno. Forever.”

The End

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 26, the Epilogue, will be posted tomorrow.


	26. Epilogue

After being away from home for two weeks, all Steve’s men wanted to do was bathe, bed their mates, and sleep, and not necessarily in that order. He’d recognized the glints in Chin and Kono’s eyes as they left to return to their home by the ocean. Sure, they’d been together the entire trip, but bunking down around men away from their own loved ones and fighting a hydra didn’t really allow for a lot of intimacy. Steve knew he’d spent every night away missing Danny with an ache that had almost felt physical.

Which was why, instead of bathing or reporting to his father, he found himself leaning against a pillar in the largest garden behind the city walls, right next to the castle, watching Danny hold court. He didn’t bother trying to mask the smile spreading over his face as Danny ranted, arms waving, at the two men standing in front of him. Seated on the huge throne, his feet dangling, Danny should’ve looked ridiculous. Instead his personality and sweeping gestures seemed to take up whatever space his body left.

“…willing to destroy a lifelong friendship for what? True love? World peace? No, for that!” Danny pointed in front of him, and Steve had to push away from the pillar to catch a glimpse of the offending object. He grinned once he saw it. “You should be ashamed. In fact, I’m ashamed for both of you. You’ve wasted my time and the attention of these fine folks.” Ignoring the chuckles of the crowd in front of him, Danny leaned forward. “This is what? A boy?” The men nodded. “You both have females?” Again, the nods. “Here’s what we’re gonna do. He’s going to be a temporary guest at the castle, and each of you will bring along one of your females for a conjugal visit. You get to keep any babies.”

One of the men gathered the courage to ask, “Who gets him?”

“Are we back to that?” Danny’s annoyance quickly turned thoughtful. “I’ll give him to the person who will treat him best and who deserves him the most.”

Steve looked around as the townspeople muttered to each other, flashes of coins catching his eye as they made wagers.

“Where’s Meka?”

The murmur became louder as an older man, led by a boy, walked up to Danny. It quickly became obvious to Steve that the boy was acting as the man’s eyes and cane.

“Here, Your Highness,” the boy said.

Danny climbed off the throne and knelt by the boy. “What’d I say about that?”

The boy grinned. “Danny.”

“There you go,” Danny said, and Steve could just picture how the king was going to react to hearing about that. “So, I have this one – ” he pointed in front of him “ – who’s become a pain in my behind. You think you could do me a favor and take him off my hands?”

The boy’s smile grew larger as he nodded so hard that his little hat almost fell off his head.

“He’ll have to stay here at the castle for a little while, but after that, he’s all yours.”

The boy led the old man over to the goat, rubbing the man’s hands over the animal’s back. “What’s his name?”

Danny looked expectantly at the two men who shuffled nervously and looked away. “Seriously?” Disgusted, he turned back to the boy. “This just proves that you deserve him. You can name him whatever you want.”

The murmur of the crowd turned from surprise to approval quickly, and Steve marveled proudly at how quickly Danny had managed to make the town fall in love with him by just being himself.

Outward appearances to the contrary, Steve had been worried when he and his men had arrived home after dealing with the dragon. Instead of returning with a princess and the promise of children, he’d come home with an ailing commoner and the promise of sporadic visitation from that man’s child with a princess from another kingdom. As soon as he’d gotten Danny settled with the royal physician, he’d requested an immediate audience with the king and queen. Unsurprisingly, neither had been very enthusiastic.

What had been surprising was finding the king at Danny’s bedside the next day, laughing uproariously to one of Danny’s stories. As he’d left, he’d touched Steve – actually clapped him on his shoulder – and said that Danny seemed to have a good head on his shoulders and a strong sword arm.

It was Grace who’d won over the queen. Riding up on her horse, hugging Steve and Danny before curtsying before the king and queen, Grace had smiled, and his mother was lost. Unfortunately, Grace had brought out a never before seen mischievous side to his mother, one that had gotten so out of hand that Danny’d requested an audience with the woman and disappeared with her for almost an hour. Steve had waited outside the chamber doors, pacing with Kono and Chin the entire time. Eventually, Danny had emerged, completely intact, refusing to discuss the conversation. All Steve knew was that the tricks dialed down a bit, and his partner still had his head. And that was good enough for him.

Danny looked over the crowd and noticed Steve, a huge, goofy grin spreading over his face for everyone to see. Before meeting Danny, that kind of open emotion in public would’ve made Steve uncomfortable, but he’d not only gotten used to it, he threw a sappy grin of his own right back.

“Okay, we’re done for the day.” Quite a few of the townspeople groaned, causing Danny to stand tall in front of them, arms held out. “For Pete’s sake. Don’t you people have chores to do, people to feed, animals to fight over?” The crowd laughed at Danny’s smile and eye roll. Placing his hand on the boy Meka’s head, he gave it a gentle shake before getting ready to step down into the crowd.

The king’s emissary, who had leached himself on to Danny practically the moment the king had accepted him as Steve’s partner, held out a hand, stopping Danny from descending. He shouted out some formal speech about this concluding the day’s trials, but everyone milled around talking, ignoring him as usual. Danny just shook his head and smiled wryly, rubbing a hand over his hair while he waited.

Steve still couldn’t stand the emissary, who seemed determined to mold Danny into some semblance of royalty – or at least get him to live and act royally. He was the only one still hoping for that miracle to occur. Danny seemed to take the man in stride, gently teasing him but letting him have his way in small things. Steve had once suggested that the man might be a little in love with Danny himself, to which Danny had replied with a smirk, “it just proves the man has good taste.” They both knew that whatever the emissary’s feelings about Danny, he would never reveal them to anyone, especially Danny. It just wasn’t proper.

Smiling distractedly at the people who clamored to put their hands on his shoulders or touch his arm, Danny’s eyes were for Steve alone. He walked straight to the prince and pressed a hand against Steve’s chest. “None of the hydra’s fifty heads took a bite out of you?” The question was posed lightly, but Steve saw the concern.

“There were only seven heads, and none of them got me,” Steve confirmed with a grin, his hand pressing against Danny’s briefly before he laced their fingers and pulled him in for a quick kiss.

“Kono and Chin?” Danny led the way into the castle.

“Went straight back to their place.”

Chuckling, Danny said, “I’m sure they did.”

“What did you do while we were gone, besides continue your long history with goats?”

“You just had to bring that up, didn’t you?” Danny groaned.

“I suppose I should be thankful that you didn’t just kill him.”

“It was dead when I found it!”

Steve couldn’t help but laugh.

“How about this, funny guy? I’ll stop holding court and will leave it all for you next time.”

Steve’s laughter stopped abruptly. He was pretty sure Danny was teasing him, but he absolutely couldn’t stand holding court, even after Kono’d figured out a way to keep it outside no matter the weather. “C’mon, Danny. You’re so good at it, and the people obviously love you.”

Danny snorted, pulling Steve toward the kitchens.

“You have such a gift for being fair and just – and you’re highly entertaining.” He pulled his arm back, knocking Danny off balance enough so he could wrap his arms around the shorter man and push him against the wall. “I’ve missed you,” he whispered in Danny’s ear, nuzzling at his neck and reveling in Danny’s unique smell.

Danny’s free arm wrapped around Steve, pulling him closer. “I missed you too, Babe,” the puffs of his breath tickling Steve’s neck.

Closing his eyes, Steve allowed himself to continue to smell until that wasn’t enough. He pressed his lips against Danny’s neck, enjoying the faint salty taste, pressing his tongue against flesh.

“Are you… are you licking me?” Danny pulled back but only far enough so their foreheads touched. “You’re a disgusting goof, you know that, right?”

Steve laughed, a silent puff of air. “But I’m your goof.”

Danny grinned back. “Damn straight. C’mon. Monkey’s here.”

Steve brightened at the thought of seeing Grace. The queen herself had called everyone together after Grace’s first visit had her leaving a day early due to some royal event. Steve sat there, watching her command a table filled with advisors, scribes, mages, and lieutenants, setting up a plan of attack that had even impressed his father. The scribes spent most of the time either taking notes or drafting official correspondence to Grace’s grandfather. Kono had been tasked to liaise with Kamekona, since they’d corresponded recently. The lieutenants poured over maps and came up with potential invasion strategies. Eventually, the king departed, and Steve only lasted another half an hour before finding his father in the middle of a card game in Danny’s suite, a game that Danny swore to Steve later that he had let the king cheat so the man could win.

It had turned out that most of the queen’s machinations hadn’t been needed. Once he found out that Danny was betrothed to the prince of Hawaii, Grace’s grandfather had apparently agreed to a more generous custody arrangement. According to the advisors who had made the trip to Jersey, he had been grudgingly amenable to the document the queen had approved and had made few changes. According to Grace, her grandfather had waited until the advisors had left before turning purple and scattering his servants with his bellows.

So now Grace spent two weeks with them, two weeks with her mother. If, for some reason, either kingdom needed her for an official event, a request for her time had to be sent, in writing, at least two weeks in advance. The only down side to the whole arrangement was that Danny would always slip out of Steve’s bed in the middle of the night to return to his own in case Grace needed him.

“Where is she?”

“In the kitchen.”

Steve groaned. Grace in the kitchen meant that there’d be tons of tasty, unhealthy, homemade treats around the castle. After the last few times, he’d had to institute mandatory calisthenics for all of his military branches. The queen had been so impressed, she’d had a revised exercise regime created for the castle servants, citing the exorbitant cost of new, larger uniforms needed for the entire staff.

Steve could hear the commotion long before the kitchen came into view. Grace stood on her stool, stirring a large wooden spoon in a big pot over a fire. Danny’s hands folded into fists, and Steve put a hand on his wrist. Danny hated Grace’s standing over open flame, but he knew that the she was protected by a multitude of spells cast by Kamekona, Kono, and JennaKaye. Steve suspected that some of the other royal mages had cast spells themselves to make sure that nothing happened to Grace. It was just Danny’s inherent protective nature that made his heart beat so fast underneath Steve’s comforting grip.

Grace looked up, her face brightening. “Steve!”

Danny stood aside so Grace could run directly to Steve, raising her arms so he could swing her up on his hip. She was getting too old and to big for this sort of thing, but Steve wasn’t ready for it to end. Not yet. Thankfully, Grace seemed to feel the same way. “What’re you making?”

“Brownies!” She said. “We’re doing two batches, one with nuts and the other one without so everyone can have some.”

“Great,” Steve muttered with a small smile, mentally cataloguing how much additional exercise he was going to have to give to his men.

“I think Steve wishes you’d maybe cook something a little healthier sometimes,” Danny said, eyes connecting with Steve’s.

Grace’s brow furrowed. “I don’t know how to make brownies any healthier.” She wiggled, and Steve gently slid her to the floor.

“I don’t think that’s what he means, Monkey,” Danny said mildly, returning to Steve’s side and casually linking fingers.

Steve tried to pretend that he still didn’t get a little thrill out of how often Danny and Grace touched him. He’d rarely given thought to how little he’d been touched his entire life, but now… now he craved it when those two were around. He found himself initiating contact, taking Danny’s hand or wrist, laying his hand on Danny’s shoulder. When they were alone, he reveled in discovering new ways and places to touch Danny.

“We could make apple pie,” the queen suggested, dusting flour off her hands. The fact that she’d even gotten anything on her hands still shocked Steve. The first time he’d seen her in the kitchen, sleeves rolled up, he’d turned around and gotten the king to come downstairs.

“Don’t be so shocked,” the queen had said blithely, “I’ve cooked before.”

Steve and the king had shared a look but remained silent, survival instincts still intact.

Now she, JennaKaye, and Grace had become this dangerous triumvirate, and heaven help any man who stood between them and any of their missions. Any man, that is, except for Danny, who seemed to have been given some leeway due to his biological connection to Grace.

One of Grace’s first visits, she’d balked at going to bed at her bedtime. Being her father’s daughter, she didn’t just sulk but threw one hell of a hissy fit, finally turning large, beseeching eyes toward the queen.

“Perhaps this one time,” the queen started. Danny shot her a look more powerful than his daughter’s, and the queen had immediately backtracked. “Actually, I thought we’d have a picnic tomorrow, but we couldn’t possibly if the guest of honor is too tired because she didn’t go to sleep at her bedtime.” Danny had shot her a grateful look, and as far as Steve knew, that was the last time she’d tried usurp his fatherly bounds.

“We’ll have to come up with some healthy recipes for their wedding, won’t we, Grace?” The queen slid an evil glance toward Steve and Danny.

Grace grinned excitedly. “You finally set a date?”

Steve was a grown man. A prince. He shouldn’t have to fight so hard not to cringe in front of a little girl.

Danny scratched at his cheek, glaring a bit at the queen. “We didn’t, actually.” He shifted. “We’ve been busy…”

Steve couldn’t leave him out there on his own. “I just got back from dealing with the hydra,” he said, helpfully pointing toward the entrance.

“We could always help, since you’re both so busy,” Kono said, brushing past them to walk into the kitchen.

“What are you doing here?” Steve asked.

“Where else would we be?” Chin asked from behind.

“Home doing –” Danny’s clearing his voice reminded Steve of the little ears in the room. “home… stuff,” he finished lamely.

Kono grinned at him, dimples flashing. “Don’t worry; we took care of all the urgent items on the to do list.” She crossed her arms and leaned against the table. “So back to the wedding. How about we – ” she waved an arm to encompass Grace, the queen, JennaKaye, and herself “ – take care of the details, and we’ll just come to you with the important questions.”

Steve looked at Danny, who shrugged and squeezed his hand. They hadn’t really talked about it, but Steve knew they were both in it for the long haul. “At least we’ll get to share the same suite.” Steve raised his eyebrows and smiled. No more sneaking around for proprietary’s sake when everyone knew that while he kept his few clothes and even fewer belongings in his own suite, Danny slept every night Grace was at her mother’s in Steve’s bed.

“And then we can get started on babies!” Grace shouted, her face flushed from the heat and her exertions. She stepped down from her stool and let JennaKaye take over.

“Monkey, I thought you’d already covered this with your tutors,” Danny said. “Steve and I –” he waved his free arm between the two of them – “are both guys.”

“But Kono could do something, right?” Grace asked, her voice filled with hope.

Kono looked thoughtful.

For the first time since he’d watched Danny collapse in front of him months before, Steve felt true fear.

“Oh, no,” Danny protested, pointing at Kono. “Don’t even go there, Mage!”

Kono acted like she hadn’t heard him.

“I mean it, Kono. Keep your weird baby making magic away from Steve!”

It took Steve a moment to process what Danny’d said. “What?”

“If we have to have a baby, you’re the one who’s gonna carry it.”

“Why me? I have a dangerous life –”

“You think I don’t?”

“You don’t have to lead the army like I do.”

“You think I’m perfectly safe up there holding court?” Danny had pulled his hand away from Steve’s in order to gesture, and Steve felt the loss.

“Danno, everyone loves you.”

“Not everyone,” the queen said.

Steve caught the look Danny shot his mother, and his heart started to pound in his ears. “Tell me.”

Danny sighed, running a hand over his hair. “First of all, I’m fine. I’m fine.”

Steve waved it aside. That wasn’t the point. “Give.”

Danny sighed. “So, in a trial, someone’s gonna win, someone’s gonna lose. People get pissed off.”

Steve just stared, his arms crossed.

“Two men came at Danno with knives,” Grace said.

Danny’s head whipped around to his daughter. “Who told you?”

Grace shrugged, licking some dough from her fingers. “People talk.”

“People…what? People talk? What people have been talking to you?” Danny turned a disbelieving look toward Steve before returning his focus to Grace.

Ignoring that conversation, Steve began running his hands over Danny’s shoulders, down his arms, turning over his hands.

“Stop mauling me in front of people!” Danny said, trying to pull back his arms.

“Where’d they stab you?” Steve only needed two things at that point: he needed to see where Danny was hurt, and he needed to know the names of the bastards whose blood would be dripping from his knife in less than ten minutes.

“What? You think I can’t take care of myself?” Danny said, slapping at Steve’s probing hands. “Stop that!”

Steve tried to let go, but he remembered seeing Danny in pain, fingers broken and ribs cracked, and he couldn’t shake that fear. He felt two hands on his face. Danny’s hands.

“Babe, I’m right here, and I’m fine. Didn’t you hear me say I was fine?” Blue eyes filled with love and concern bore into his, and he felt himself relaxing.

“So, you’re fine then?” He tried to make it sound funny and whimsical, but he knew it came out forced and weak.

Danny laughed, going along with him even though it was obvious that Danny knew what he was up to. “I’ve been a lawman for quite a few years. I might be rusty, but I can still kick some serious a – ” a glance at Gracie “ – butt when I feel the need.”

Steve looked at Chin, who nodded. Their sparring sessions were now going to have a third member. The trick was going to be convincing Danny to get out of bed at dawn for them.

“What was that?”

Steve brought out his innocent look. “Hmm?”

“That look between you and Chin. What was that?”

“Nothing,” Steve said the same time Chin asked, “how early do you have to get up when you hold court?”

Danny’s head whipped between the two men. “I don’t know what you’re up to, but the answer is no. Just. No.”

Steve hazarded another look at Chin, thankful that their long friendship enabled them to understand each other quickly. Chin shook his head a little, letting Steve know that he and Kono had looked into Danny’s past and hadn’t been able to learn anything about his parents. They’d agreed to say nothing to Danny until they’d gotten hold of substantial information. Even then, Steve had decided to only share what they’d found if the information wouldn’t cause Danny any additional pain. After all, he had a new family now, one who’d chosen and accepted him and loved him.

“Those plans can wait until after the wedding,” the queen said, oblivious to the silent conversation. “We’ll come up with a few possible dates, and you can just pick one of them.”

“See? Easy.” Kono smirked, and Steve knew she was making him pay for only letting her cut off one of the hydra’s heads.

He started to open his mouth in what he knew was going to be another futile attempt to stop plans that were already gathering steam, but Danny nudged him silent.

“Babe, let’s just leave them to it,” Danny suggested, bowing low as he backed out of the kitchen, making Grace giggle. He pulled Steve around the corner, his turn to press Steve against the wall. “I hate it when you leave without me.”

They’d decided that Danny would travel with him when Grace was at her mother’s, staying at the kingdom when Grace visited them. The nights could be lonely, but those were the times when Steve found himself focused on getting home rather than dawdling along the way. Chin had informed him in his own dry tone that the men appreciated the change.

“You’ll have to tell me all about your trip,” Danny said between featherlike kisses.

Leaning forward to try to deepen the kisses, Steve sighed, “I have to report to the king.”

Danny stopped and leaned back, staring at Steve.

Uncomfortable at the scrutiny, Steve tried not to squirm. “What?”

“You came to see me before reporting to your father?” A large smile spread over Danny’s face as he chuckled. “He’s gonna be pissed.”

“I’ll just blame you,” Steve said. “He’ll already be simmering because you told that child to call you by your first name.”

“Who, Meka? He’s a buddy of mine,” Danny said, shrugging. “Besides, fiancés don’t have titles.”

Steve knew that Danny wasn’t worried about the king. Against all expectations, the king had somehow formed a bond with Danny that Steve hadn’t seen happen with anyone else. In fact, the king had once confided to Steve that he knew Danny knew the correct protocols and that the man used them when he thought necessary – he just usually chose to ignore them. What stunned Steve was that his father had said it with a fond smile. He supposed he should be jealous of that bond, but he was all for anything that further cemented Danny’s place in his life and proved that Danny was happy and felt at home with them. With him.

“Come with me. The king’s much nicer when you’re around.”

Danny chuckled, walking with Steve towards the king’s chambers. “You managed all those years without me. I’m sure you’ll be fine.” They stopped in front of the chamber doors. “Hurry up. I’ll be waiting.”

“Fine.” Steve sighed, kissing Danny once more and pressing their foreheads together, never tiring of looking into the eyes of his future.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I'm supposed to send this out tomorrow, but I'm having power cord issues (think a small crackling sound and a wisp of smoke), and I don't know that I'll be able to do it then. So, you get the finale early!
> 
> Thanks for taking this ride with me. I hope you're leaning back, sighing, feeling like you ate the perfect desert and just want to take a moment enjoying the feeling.
> 
> I also want to take the time to thank everyone who took the time to comment. I had fun chatting with every one of you.


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